‘Our overall goal is to achieve safer shipping’

After years of sailing the world on mostly Dutch cargo ships, Maritime Authority of Suriname (MAS) director Eddie Fitz-Jim returned to his South American homeland to put that experience to work for the Department of Shipping and continued there when it became a private enterprise in 1998. In an exclusive interview, Mr. Fitz-Jim explains his company’s goals for the Suriname shipping industry.

Q: What is MAS and what are its current objectives?
A: We sell services to the shipping industry. We provide piloting for the whole of Suriname; hydrographic surveys, navigation aids, we do the buoys and beaconing as well all the maintenance, shipping inspections for inland vessels mostly, and at present we are in the process of doing the shipping inspection for the international shipping vessels as well. But that’s a long process because we have to renew legislation, which we are busy doing at the moment. The overall goal is to achieve safer shipping.

Q: Speaking of safety, how will it be affected as traffic increases among CARICOM nations and with the future hemisphere-wide free trade agreement?
A: Safety is a very big issue. That’s why we joined the Caribbean Port state control. They are providing us with advice on how to implement safety regulations, as well on how to train staff on such issues. One of our ship inspectors is in Trinidad right now doing an advanced training course. Another of our inspectors did this course a couple of years ago.

Q: What are the company’s plans over the next five years in terms of investment and new technologies?
A: We have a five-year plan that includes several projects. There are further plans to reorganize the personnel and day-to-day administration. There are plans for the technical operation of the company as well as plans for investments in new technologies, such as hydrographic services, ferry markings and new administrative systems.
The five-year plan is closely monitored by our management which allows us to evaluate the achievements reached each year.
One of our main challenges at the moment is getting good maritime legislation for Suriname. Work has begun on it, bit it is going very slowly. We need to pick up the speed