Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Friday announced that the online Ship and Boat Registration System had become operational, enabling vessel owners to submit registration applications electronically without visiting government offices.
In a statement, the minister said the ship and boat registration modules were now fully accessible for online applications following the completion of necessary measures.
He said the initiative would modernise maritime administration by reducing paperwork, saving applicants time and money, improving transparency and helping maintain an updated national database of registered vessels.
The Mercantile Marine Department (MMD), under the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, is responsible for registering merchant ships, fishing boats, sailing vessels and harbour crafts under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance and related laws.
According to the statement, the ministry is also working to introduce online payments to further facilitate applicants. A meeting between officials of the MMD and the State Bank of Pakistan has been scheduled to discuss integrating an electronic payment mechanism into the system.
The facility of online payments is expected to become operational within the next 15 days, allowing applicants to pay registration fees electronically through a single payment link, the minister said.
He said digital registration could also have implications for climate resilience in coastal areas by providing a centralised database of fishing vessels and their owners.
Linked with climate-risk mapping, cyclone early-warning systems and fisheries management, the database could help authorities identify vulnerable fishing communities, improve emergency response and facilitate timely evacuations during extreme weather events.
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