Seafarers will get SIDs in next 5 months, ministry says
Under international treaties to which Maldives is a signatory, every seafarer must have this document.
By
Shahudha Mohamed
Transport Minister Mohammed Ameen has said that a permanent solution will be found within the next five months to the issue of non-issuance of Seafarers Identity Document (SID) and Seaman Book to seafarers in accordance with International Labor Organization (ILO) rules.
The Minister was speaking at a press conference on Wednesday to brief the media on the work done by the Ministry of Transport in the past 40 days since President Mohammed Muizzu took over the government.
There are very high level shipping companies in the country and the SID is not issued according to the standards accepted by ILO and international conventions.
“We have now spoken to the government with immigration to fold the card within the ILO regulations, which will now be sent to the ILO last week for verification as acceptable,” the minister said.
Although the ILO recommended changes to the card, Ameen assured that a permanent solution would be found within the next five months.
Under international treaties to which Maldives is a signatory, every seafarer must have this document.
After several delays, Immigration began issuing the documents last September following complaints from seafarers. Immigration has started issuing the card after saying it is working on issuing a temporary SID as soon as possible.
