Government hopes to accelerate revitalization of maritime fleet

Inland Maritime Transport Observatory On July 11, nearly a month ago, we held a meeting to assess existing inter-island shipping services and their development prospects.

This mode of shipping There are currently 20 vessels providing services, 5 operating from Moorea, 5 on ISLV, 7 from Tuamotu Gambier, 2 from the Marquesas and 1 from the Austral Islands.

Maritime freight activity increased in 2023 (461,481 tons in 2023 and 451,004 tons last year) But especially when it comes to passengers. In fact, passenger numbers have increased by almost 30% over the past decade to a record 2 million passengers (up from 1.6 million in 2013).

Two new ships are due to come into service in 2023: Hava’i (June) and Apetahi Express (July), contributing to an increase in cargo volumes on the route (196,000 tonnes, compared to 171,000 tonnes last year); progress should continue over the next three years, with at least five new ships entering service: Vaitere 2 (July 2024), Hawaiki Nui 2 (2025), Dory 2 (2026), Aranoa (2026) and Na Hiro E Pae (2026).

The renewal of the Polynesian maritime fleet is the result of a concerted effort by shipowners, thanks to the financial support provided by the country through the tax exemption mechanism (more than 6.5 billion francs in tax credits for ships alone. Fcfp in tax credits for all ships and marine projects).

40% of ships are over 40 years old

This is a major issue for the sustainability of our island’s maritime services. In fact, it is currently observed that the excessively aged maritime fleet (40% of the vessels are over 40 years old) leads to recurring long-term breakdowns (e.g. Saint Xavier Maristella IV -photo- Fixed for more than one year between February 2023 and June 2024) Disrupting the supply of the people and businesses concerned, sometimes even requiring the dispatch of the Tahiti Nui 8 vessel, which belongs to the country, to ensure their supply. That is why the government has decided to invest more than 1.5 billion francs in tax credits per year to support the ship acquisition project.

Finally, in order to improve maritime transport, the government stressed that from October 2024, shipowners will be obliged to implement Dematerialization of bills of lading (creation, transmission, verification), sailing schedules and departure notices through REVATUA remote services. Available from 2021, this remote service is a major advancement and offers the following benefits: Simplifies the process for all users; allows reducing the time for reimbursement of freight charges within the country and has the advantage of moving towards “zero paper”. The management produces more than 1 million paper bills of lading each year, each of which can be printed up to eight times.

Source: Government – National Navy Photo