COMMANDER OF THE NAVY DELIVERS WELCOME ADDRESS AT NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON IMO VIMSAS AUDITOR TRAINING

Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Jayanath Colombage delivered the welcome address at the national workshop on Voluntary IMO Member State Audit based on VIMSAS Auditor Training Course conducted at the CINEC Maritime Campus in Malabe on 21^st January 2014.

The workshop held from 21^st to 23^rd is organized by the Sri Lanka branch of the Nautical Institute in collaboration with the Colombo International Nautical and Engineering College (CINEC). The audit scheme is a mandatory requirement for the pursuant of the maritime hub status in accordance with His Excellency the President’s vision.

Welcoming the participants, Vice Admiral Colombage, the current Chairman of the NI’s Sri Lanka Branch, stated that the course developed by the IMO will provide the relevant officials in Sri Lanka with updated information on the aspects of auditing. As such, it will enhance their knowledge of the underlying principles adopted by respective maritime administrations of the Flag, Port and Coastal states. The mandatory audit scheme is a key tool for assessing member states’ performance in meeting their obligations and responsibilities. Therefore, the workshop will be very helpful in establishing the Sri Lanka’s compliance with the IMO instruments, he further stated.