Panama Begins Electronic Vessel Registry

The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) is modernising operations with the launch of the first phase of its Electronic Vessel Registry (REN) system.

The REN is designed to unify the management systems of the Ship Registry [General Directorate of the Merchant Marine -DGMM] and the Public Registry of Ship Ownership of Panama (DGRPN) [vessel registration services] that superintend the documentation and the certification of property titles, mortgages, and naval liens.

APM said the electronic registry was developed through a trial and test approach, aiming to ensure it aligns with the ‘real-world’ needs of the shipping sector.

The AMP’s representatives noted that the ongoing nature of the process enables the delivery of features needed for efficient maritime operations.

The integration of both directions is expected to disentangle procedures for national as well as international stakeholders through a web-based platform, which, in turn, could streamline processing times on a great scale.

“We cannot subject our users to unnecessary bureaucracy. We aspire to comprehensive, non-sectoral excellence, which is why we must be on par with, and even surpass, our competitors,” said Marta Aparicio, Head of the Public Registry of Ship Ownership of Panama [vessel registration services].

Ramon Franco, Director General of the Merchant Marine/Ship Registry, at the AMP, added that the digital tools have the potential to restructure response times and tracking processes for Panama.