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In November 2022, the Maritime and Port Bureau (MPB) of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications coordinated Taiwan’s voluntary participation in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member State Audit Scheme. Three international auditors commended the overall conduct of the audit. To verify the effectiveness of subsequent corrective actions, the MPB invited the original lead auditor for an on-site follow-up visit from October 21 to 23, 2025, with 19 agencies participating in the evaluation. The lead auditor Captain Cahit affirmed that Taiwan completed concrete and effective corrective measures, with overall implementation surpassing the average performance of IMO member states.

The MPB noted that 19 agencies, including the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ocean Affairs Council and its affiliated units, the Transportation Safety Board, the National Communications Commission, the National Rescue Command Center, the Naval Meteorological and Oceanographic Office, the CR Classification Society, and Taiwan International Ports Corporation, signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding on October 3, 2025, to ensure full implementation of the required corrections. The agreement strengthened cross-ministerial coordination, outlined long-term strategies and implementation pathways, and demonstrated the government’s commitment to advance maritime safety and pollution-prevention standards in line with international expectations.

Director-General Hsieh-lung Yeh of the MPB remarked that the follow-up visit confirmed Taiwan’s concrete progress in four principal areas: establishing a routine interagency coordination mechanism; formulating clear long-term strategies and an implementation roadmap; developing procedures for periodic review and continuous improvement; and strengthening the flag State guidance framework. He noted that these results reflected the collective effort and strong performance delivered by all 19 participating agencies. He added that, to fulfill international responsibilities,  the long-term regulatory priority of the MPB is to continually advance reviews of maritime legislation and examine the alignment of higher-level laws and implementing provisions with international conventions. For instance, the amendment to the Law of Ships has moved forward with proposals that reinforce penalties and currently stands as one of the key policy initiatives of the MPB.

Director-General Yeh emphasized that Port State Control (PSC) regimes worldwide have treated the audit scheme as a critical benchmark for assessing vessel risk. The successful completion of the corrective process, along with strong recognition from the auditors, has strengthened the competitiveness of Taiwan-flagged vessels and elevated Taiwan’s standing and visibility in global maritime administration. He noted that the signing of the multilateral memorandum of understanding will establish a documented, institutionalized, and operationalized framework for interministerial cooperation. The MPB will continue to work with partner agencies to enhance the effectiveness of Taiwan’s maritime administration and to advance the domestic implementation of international conventions, thereby reinforcing the nation’s maritime governance capacity.

Contact Person: Yu-hsin Huang, Section Chief, Vessel Management Division 

Contact Number: (02)8978-2625