According to the SOLAS Convention, Governments worldwide are required to ensure that all vessels are sufficiently and efficiently equipped. Thus, surveys are carried on board vessels of 300GT and over to ensure that the vessel is compliant with respect to its radio equipment prior to issuing the vessel with a Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate.
This Ship Safety Radio Survey is also to be carried out as a terminal compliance check before the renewal of any Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate.
Further to the above, it has been communicated by Transport Malta, that as from the 1st of July 2015, a copy of the Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate accompanied by the respective Record of Equipment (Form R) are no longer required to process radio renewals for vessels.
Nevertheless, the Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate accompanied by the respective Record of Equipment (Form R) are still required with respect to the issuance of a new permanent radio station license and in cases whereby Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate in Transport Malta's records has expired and is not available online.
This measure has been introduced in order to reduce and further streamline the documentation and procedures required to be submitted together with the requests for the relevant radio renewals.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
