A major reorganisation of the Solomon Islands maritime sector comes into force from tomorrow with the establishment of the Maritime Safety Administration.
The reform of the old Marine Department was necessary to ensure Solomon Islands compliance with international and regional maritime conventions.
In its new guise as SIMSA, the Marine Department is to be empowered to enforce these regulations and to play its part in protecting the Pacific maritime sector.
The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, John Ta'aru, says the new legal framework will put the nation at the forefront of maritime legislation in the Pacific.
SIMSA has been set up with the aid of the Asian Development Bank and the European Commission.
