Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of The Bahamas Peter Turnquest has officially opened the Bahamas Maritime Authority’s (BMA) new office in Tokyo.

The office will provide direct service to the Japanese maritime market, the world’s second largest in terms of vessel tonnage.

At the opening, Turnquest said: “Japan is a great maritime nation, and The Bahamas Ship Registry is one of the world’s top registries. The opening of our BMA Tokyo office represents an ever closer commitment to serving our valued Japanese shipowner clients. This will benefit the Japanese maritime community, and it will further the growth of The Bahamas Flag, which has been a consistent contributor to our economy.”

To commemorate this important occasion, Turnquest was joined by Minister of Transport and Local Government, Renward Wells, who is responsible for the BMA.

“The BMA serves maritime clients comprehensively, rapidly and proactively. Though we have been registering and administering Japanese-owned vessels for many years, I am confident that our permanent office presence in Tokyo will enable us to further enhance our support for Japanese maritime interests, and build on the BMA’s impressive record of success,” said Minister Wells.

Bahamas’ vessels are accorded the highest Flag rating by Port States in the Asia Pacific region, the Paris MOU European region, and the US Coast Guard under QUALSHIP 21. This positive rating is beneficial to all Bahamas-flagged shipowners trading their vessels regionally and internationally.

The growth of The Bahamas Registry under the BMA has been a notable success story for The Bahamas. The extension of The Bahamas’ maritime services directly into the vast Japanese market should underpin the registry’s further growth.