Joint efforts look to guarantee skill and training standards, in line with domestic and international regulations.
Panama, October 14, 2021. SAAM Towage signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP). This agreement looks to strengthen the professional development of seafarers through ongoing training.
It reflects these entities’ shared commitment to guaranteeing skill and training standards, safety, protection and added efficiency in domestic and international seafaring, in line with local and international regulations.
SAAM’s Chief Institutional Affairs Officer, Enrique Arteaga, commented how “as a company we are proud to work with the Panama Maritime Authority. The main objective of this comprehensive cooperation alliance is to foster mechanisms that help promote job opportunities, along with ongoing training for crews, a task that SAAM Towage will undertake, advised and accompanied by AMP, which will provide information needed to reach the main industry players interested.”
The Director of the General Directorate of Seafarers (DGGM in Spanish), Juan Maltez, remarked that “the AMP is creating the necessary mechanisms to drive the comprehensive development and professional growth of Panamanian seafarers. So, it is an honor to see this stage being completed, a stage that also reinforces the technical cooperation ties between both institutions.”
SAAM Towage will provide job opportunities to individuals in Panama with these skills. It will also finance the development of specialized maritime vessel training, targeted towards officers, cadets and junior personnel.
About SAAM Towage
SAAM Towage has been in Panama for more than 25 years, with a highly trained team providing top-quality towage services to support foreign trade.
Globally, SAAM Towage has operations in 13 countries in the Americas. In addition to Panama, it operates in: Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay, making it the industry leader with more than 170 tugs at 84 ports.
Each year, it completes over 100,000 maneuvers for around 37,000 vessels. These services include berthing and unberthing services for ships; assistance, salvage and towage for barges and civil construction projects; specialized services for vessels at off-shore terminals and anchoring oil and gas platforms.