Marina, ARTA to streamline shipbuilding regulation
‘The government should continuously find ways to ease the processing of regulatory applications.’
The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) are poised to simplify regulatory requirements and make government processes more efficient in the shipbuilding and ship repair (SBSR) industry to strengthen its competitiveness.
The initiative supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to cut red tape and improve government efficiency. It also follows Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon’s push to improve service delivery across the transport sector.
ARTA officials led by Undersecretary Lea-Grace B. Salcedo discussed with Marina-OIC Administrator Loumer P. Bernabe in a meeting on 10 November the ongoing collaborative initiatives to streamline SBSR regulations and ensure the continuity of reform efforts under the new maritime agency’s leadership.
“The government should continuously find ways to ease the processing of regulatory applications,” Bernabe said, emphasizing the need to make government transactions more efficient for maritime industry stakeholders.
Marina, through its Shipyards Regulation Service office, is working with ARTA to identify policy and institutional reforms that will simplify procedures, shorten processing time, and improve transparency.
The reforms aim to create a more streamlined and digitally enabled regulatory environment that facilitates business transactions, encourages investments, and strengthens the country’s shipbuilding and ship repair capabilities, while upholding maritime safety, quality, and environmental standards.
The collaboration began in November 2024, following the Royal Danish Embassy’s engagement with ARTA to explore ways to strengthen the Philippines’ position in the global SBSR industry. This led to a multi-agency initiative involving ARTA, the Embassy, the Department of Transportation and Marina.