The Department of Transport (DoT) revealed its intention to create a state-owned company (SOC) to own and operate merchant vessels in November 2022 when it released a pre-draft Bill for comment.
This Bill would become known as the Merchant Shipping Bill and was introduced to the National Assembly in May 2023.
It lapsed but was revived in July 2024 and the Transport Committee of the National Assembly called for written submissions by October last year.
Finalising the Bill into an Act is said to be a priority of the next administration.
There is little, if not no, argument against having a fleet of SA-registered vessels.
The significance of national registration lies in the fact that these vessels will carry the SA flag and be legally and fiscally linked to South Africa as far as their activities are concerned.
Several reasons have been put forward by the DoT for establishing this company.
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