Maldives Transport and Civil Aviation has extended the deadline for shipping agents in the Maldives to register.
Clause 5 of the Shipping Agency Act gazetted on July 16 requires all shipping agencies in the country to register at the transport ministry in order for them to operate in the Maldives. The registration deadline was initially set as August 16. However, the transport ministry announced the deadline has been extended until September 15.
The regulations on shipping agency services were formulated under the Maritime Transport Act. As per the regulations, shipping agents are required to obtain a special license from the Maldives Transport Authority to operate in commercial ports. In this regard, all shipping agents need to register at the transport authority within the specified duration. After the deadline, only shipping agents which have acquired the license from the transport authority will be allowed to operate in ports.
Under the previous regulations, any shipping agent registered under the Ministry of Economic Development can operate in ports without an additional license. Stakeholders of the shipping industry have been expressing concerns over the non-regulation of shipping agents in the Maldives, as most countries require shipping agents to be licensed for operation.
The regulations on shipping agency services was formulated to raise the standard of service given to cargo ships entering and leaving Maldivian ports, and to ensure shipping agencies operate at a professional level.