Myanmar: DMA issues seafarers identity smart cards to sailors

DMA issues seafarers identity smart cards to sailors
Shoon Lei Win 8 August 2019 https://elevenmyanmar.com/news/dma-issues-seafarers-identity-smart-cards...

Seafarers identity smart cards are being issued to about Myanmar sailors in line with the criteria in ILO Convention, said a source from the Department of Marine Administration under the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

The ceremony to issue seafarers identity smart cards to Myanmar sailors, organized by the DMA and Omnitech Company Ltd took place at the meeting hall of the DMA in Dawbon Township in Yangon Region on August 6.

“The seafarer identity smart cards meet international standards and that includes security system. The sailors face difficulties in some countries such as Russia and Brazil as they do not have the SID. Before issuing the SID to the sailors, seafarer identity smart cards will be used as an alternative way. But these cards meet international standards and that they will solve the problems. The SID must be an essential document for the sailors. Today, the ceremony is to begin issuing seafarer identity smart cards to Myanmar sailors,” U Thaung Kyaing, Director-General of the DMA.

Seafarers Identity Document Convention C-108 was released in 1958. Myanmar has issued SID booklets since 2014, but it was stopped in September in 2017. Instead, recommendation documents were issued out.

Myanmar signed SID Convention C 185 on January 12 in 2016. Myanmar submitted tenders for issuing SID cards on September 21 in 2017 and Omnitech Company won the tender.

Myanmar sailors must apply for the cards through online https://ominitechmm.com filling necessary particulars and they must apply for the cards at Dawbon shipyard in person. The smart card will expire when it turns five years.

Translated and Edited by Win Htut