Panama Maritime Authority receives Hellenic American Maritime Centre Award

Panama Maritime Authority receives Hellenic American Maritime Centre Award

SAFETY4SEA, in collaboration with SHIPPINGInsight, is pleased to announce that Panama Maritime Authority has received the 2019 Hellenic American Maritime Centre Award, sponsored by HudsonAnalytix, at a gala dinner and award ceremony which successfully concluded on May 29th at Megaron Athens, The Banqueting Hall, the evening on day one of the inaugural Hellenic American Maritime Forum, in Athens.

Panama Maritime Authority received the award for being a leading hub for the maritime sector, a global maritime nation and the world’s largest state-owned ship registry. The Panama Maritime Authority provides services to the national and international trade and maritime industry, with high quality standards. The Authority guarantees legal security, within a framework of transparency, through competent human resources. The Panama Maritime Authority maintains world leadership in the Ship Registry and contributes to the sustainable development of the country.

Presenting the award Mrs. Cynthia Hudson, CEO, HudsonAnalytix said

What the Panama Maritime Authority has achieved is what we like to see in our industry; Growth, transparency, improvement and real professionalism. Needless to say, I’m delighted to be able to present this award to this dynamic maritime centre.

Accepting the award on behalf of Panama Maritime Authority, Mr. Jorge Barakat Pitti, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Administrator, stated:

I receive this award on behalf of all the Panamanians and foreign workers of the Panama Maritime Authority, but most importantly I receive this award on behalf of all our partners, you, owners who believe in the Panamanian registry.

Overall, the Authority is working to ensure compliance with the national legislation of the maritime and inland waters of the Republic of Panama. Recently, the Authority signed a MoU with RightShip to promote environmental sustainability in the maritime sector. Also, Panama was accepted as a Cooperating Member in the Tokyo MoU, more than 3 years ago.  During the 29th Meeting of the Committee in Nov 2018, the Tokyo MoU monitoring team highlighted that Panama has properly conducted Port State Control activities, reflecting a percentage decrease in vessel arrests of Panamanian flag. In addition, the Authority has recently started a verification process by EMSA with a view to confirm that Panama complies with all necessary guidelines and Panamanian competency titles are recognized by EU. This action will open the doors to Panamanian seafarers to European markets which maintain high demands of trained personnel.

The first Hellenic American Maritime Awards were announced on the sidelines of the inaugural Hellenic American Maritime Forum (HAMF) for which SAFETY4SEA and SHIPPINGInsight collaborated to provide an environment where shipowners and managers can voice their concerns and needs while finding solutions and collaborations. This unique event, which was held on 29-30 May 2019, in Athens, brought together the Hellenic American Maritime Stakeholders to discuss, network and exchange views and ideas towards a safe, smart, green, optimized, innovative and sustainable shipping industry.

Other winners of the 2019 HAMF Awards are: Star Bulk Carriers Corp. for the Dry Bulk Operator Award, Viswa Lab for the Innovation Award, Wärtsilä for the Investment in Shipping Award, US Coast Guard for the Guardians of Industry Award, Mrs. Angeliki Frangou, Chairwoman & CEO, Navios Group, for the Visionary Award, Mr. Nicky A. Pappadakis, Past Chairman of Intercargo, for the Maritime Advocate Award and Adm. (USCG Ret) Thad William Allen for the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Find photos from the awards ceremony at Flickr and explore more about the winners of 2019 Hellenic American Maritime Awards at http://hellenicamericanmaritimeforum.com/

Source: SAFETY4SEA