Liberia Maritime Program Continues to Excel
Launches Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Center, and Reaches an Agreement with its Agent about the Shipping and Corporate Registry.
Monrovia, Liberia – The Liberia Maritime Program is already reflecting continued growth and development, only four months into 2009. The Program is inaugurating the Monrovia Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC), which will be utilized by five West African nations. In addition, the Program, which recently registered its 3,000th vessel, a historic high, has reached an agreement with its Agent, the Liberia International Shipping and Corporate Registry (LISCR), LLC, on the terms and conditions of a new contract for the Liberian Registry.
On April 23, 2009, the Liberia Maritime Program, through the Bureau of Maritime Affairs (BMA), will officially launch the Monrovia Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC), which will coordinate the search and rescue of people in distress at sea, and strengthen maritime security along the coasts of Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea and Sierra Leone. After the signing of a Multilateral Agreement between the five West African nations in 2007, the BMA, in 2008, took the steps necessary to ensure that the Monrovia Regional MRCC was established. The inauguration ceremony will be attended by the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, who has ensured the provision of equipment and requisite training for the Monrovia Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Center.
The Program, in March 2009, also reached an agreement with its Agent, Liberia International Shipping and Corporate Registry (LISCR), LLC, on the terms and provisions to form the basis of a contract, which will extend the current Agreement for an additional ten years. Discussions were led by the BMA with support from other Government entities. LISCR, the US-based Agent of the Liberian Registry, has served the BMA since December 31, 1999. During this period, the Registry’s level of service, quality and client satisfaction greatly improved, thereby attracting increasing numbers of shipowners worldwide. The Registry has increased in size from 1,700 vessels of 53 million gross tons to over 3,000 vessels of nearly 90 million gross tons over the past nine years.
Commenting on this development, the BMA Commissioner, Mr. Binyah C. Kesselly, stated, “The Liberia Maritime Program must be maintained as ‘Best in Class.’ As such, we recognize the professional manner in which LISCR has operated the Registry and note with considerable satisfaction the substantial success that has been achieved during the past nine years. Therefore, we look forward to another ten years of success, growth and mutual cooperation with LISCR, as we further develop this gold standard maritime operation, thus yielding a ship registry that protects the long-term interests of ship-owners, our nation and our global partners. Furthermore, it is our expectation that the Liberian Registry will continue to be the industry leader in customer service and focus. ” Liberia strives to be the number one jurisdiction of choice for the international shipping industry. With support from its Agent, Liberia has been able to achieve and maintain the level of technical sophistication necessary to operate a top quality corporate and ship registry that is satisfactory to its international clientele.
The details of the ten year extension are currently being documented into a formal agreement, which is expected to be concluded and signed by both parties shortly.
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