Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia receives ISO quality management certificate for fifth time

Georgia's Maritime Transport Agency has obtained the ISO 9001:2015 certificate, confirming its quality management, for the fifth time, the Ministry of Economy said on Wednesday.

This result came after the “successful completion” of an audit conducted by the German company TÜV NORD CERT GmbH, which assessed the Agency’s adherence to the updated international standards, the Ministry added.

Aleksi Akhvlediani, the Director of the Agency, said the body was “pioneering” implementation of a quality management system within the Georgian public services. He emphasised the ISO certificate served as a “testament” to the Agency’s “pursuit of continuous improvement” and its commitment to delivering “customer-oriented services” in the maritime sector.

The Agency is also overseeing and enhancing performance of private entities operating in the maritime sector, including crewing companies, classification societies and maritime training institutions. Through the implementation of quality management systems in these organisations, the Agency aims to mitigate risks and promote customer satisfaction, ultimately fostering the development of the maritime sector”, Akhvlediani said.

The body added the efforts to transform the maritime sector in Georgia dated back to 2012 and had led to reforms, including the introduction of the ISO 9001 quality management system.

As a result, Georgia has earned recognition from the International Maritime Organisation and been included in the organisation's "white list," enabling Georgian-issued certificates to be recognised by 74 naval flags worldwide, it said.