Marshall Islands: radio message accounting and authorities

The Republic of the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator has issued an updated marine notice regarding radio message accounting procedures and Accounting Authorities.

The Notice was published on 1 September 2023.

PURPOSE

This Notice elucidates the radio message accounting procedures mandated by the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime Regulations and enumerates the Accounting Authorities authorized by the RMI Maritime Administrator (the "Administrator").

This Notice supersedes Rev. Jul/2022 and includes the updated contact information for JP03 on the list of Accounting Authorities in Annex 1.

APPLICABILITY

This Notice is applicable to all RMI-flagged vessels equipped with ship radio stations.

REQUIREMENTS

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Convention, currently in force, stipulates the settlement of maritime radiocommunication accounts for ships licensed by the Administrator through Accounting Authorities.
In light of the numerous issues arising in international radio maritime accounting, no vessel is eligible for registration or to maintain registration under the RMI flag unless the owner has entered into a valid contract with an authorized radio service company. This contract should outline the accounting obligation and may include the responsibility for obtaining the vessel's Ship Radio Station License.
It is obligatory that all international maritime radio traffic charges for radiocommunications from ship to shore, encompassing both terrestrial and satellite communications, be settled by the approved Accounting Authority in accordance with the owner's contract.
The Accounting Authority must inform the Administrator of the vessels for which it has assumed full responsibility for the payment of radiocommunication expenses incurred through its maritime mobile station. This is in compliance with the ITU Convention, ensuring that payments align with the ITU Regulations and Recommendation D.90, and do not accrue to the account of the RMI Government. It is imperative that all radio traffic charges be directed solely to the Accounting Authority, not to any third party.
ITU-T Recommendation D.90 restricts the number of accounting authorities, based in other countries, that the Administrator may recognize to 25. The radio service companies endorsed by the Administrator are enumerated in Annex 1 of this Notice.

For more information, please see the document below (available only to subscribers):