Government to Verify Tanzania Flagged Vessels
Government to Verify Tanzania Flagged Vessels. According to the Zanzibar Maritime Authority (ZMA), the government will verify all international vessels registered under the Tanzanian flag in an effort to combat illegal activities and fraudulent registrations.
Khalid Salum Mohamed, Minister of Infrastructure, Communication, and Transport, informed members of the House of Representatives that any vessel found to be engaged in illegal activities might be deregistered.
Following inquiries from backbenchers, including Dr Mohammed Ali Suleiman (Mtambwe constituency), Zanzibar announced it would license international vessels and regulate their operations.
There have been issues with some vessels involved in illegal activities.
A total of 15 Tanzanian flagged ships have been identified as violating laws and regulations. “We are making progress, but verification exercises have been planned,” the Minister explained.
In the period from 2020 to 2024, the Zanzibar Maritime Authority registered 800 international ships with a total gross tonnage (GT) of 3,068,376.32, along with 40 local ships totaling 58,115 GT.
In this way, the Authority has been able to collect registration fees worth over 10.1 billion.
