 The responsibility for ensuring the
provision of services that guarantee
the efficient and cost-effective operation
of Maltese ports is entrusted to the
Ports Directorate of the Malta Maritime
Authority. In this role as a service
provider, it is obliged to ensure, at all
times, the provision of port workers,
pilotage and mooring services, safety
of navigation equipment, pollution
prevention measures and other ship
requirements. The Ports Directorate is
also involved in the development of the
ports in Malta and acts as a facilitator.
The role of the Ports Directorate as the
regulator of all Maltese ports and as the
facilitator to the ports community in
general has gradually become wider.
The enhanced participation of the private
enterprise in the running of port facilities
shall further strengthen this Directorate's
role. Once the management of the ports
and the provision of services are wholly
privatised or involve a high degree of
private support participation, and once
the institutional restructuring is in place,
the Malta Maritime Authority shall
further consolidate its position as a
regulator for the provision of services in
ports. This could include the monitoring
of exclusive service contracts, and the
adoption of a more pronounced proactive
role by acting as the "main manager" of
the ports. Together with the shipping and
port communities, they may embark on
initiatives that focus on the promotion of
the ports through research, development
and innovation.
The Port of Valletta, which is a natural
deep-water harbour, extends for about
3.6 kilometres inland. Its two-arm
breakwater renders it a safe, all-weather
port throughout the year, open on a
twenty-four-hour basis. It is capable
of providing a comprehensive package
of maritime services including towage,
salvage, pilotage, victualling, and
the provision of all kinds of stores
and supplies.
The port is furnished with a series of
multi-purpose quays capable of handling
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all types of cargo. Warehousing and open
storage facilities are available throughout
the port area. Laboratory Wharf hosts
secured storage facilities for variuos kinds
of transshipment cargo, ranging from the
storage of grains to car containers. Ship
repair also continues to be one of the
major activities in the port, in view
of several ship repair concerns located
therein. Because of its climate and
geographical location, Malta is a natural
area for the cruise industry. The year
2005 saw the completion of the first phase
of a new cruise and passenger terminal.
Other plans include the creation of new
transport links from the harbour using
water taxis/buses and a cable car system.
The Authority also considers requests
for the provision of services to vessels
outside harbour and within territorial
waters. There are basically two types of
services that take place, namely: requests
for conveyance of personnel, spare parts
and provisions and requests for bunkering.
 The conveyance normally takes place
outside Grand Harbour, however in the
event of bad weather, arrangements can
be made for the vessel to be serviced
on the leeside of the island. Bunkering
operations are carried out at specially
designated anchorage areas. Other
offshore services are also considered.
The Authority recognises that continuous
port development is a must for any port
to survive. Hence it has commissioned
a number of feasibility, geotechnical and
environmental impact studies on a number
of port development projects in our
ports. As part of these studies, which are
partly financed by the EU, the Authority,
besides studying the development of new
infrastructures in the port of Valletta, will
be exploring the feasibility of rehabiliting
underdeveloped land in the proximity of
the port. Thus preserving such land for
future port requirements and industries
which do not need to be in the proximity
of the port will be relocated.
The Ports Directorate also maintains its
important role as a regulatory body in
respect of the preservation of good order
in the territorial and internal waters of
Malta and the prevention and control of
pollution. In this respect, the employment
of additional qualified personnel and
the updating of environment-related
legislation have enhanced the office of
the Harbour Master. Moreover, the
Directorate has regulatory functions
regarding local commercial craft and
inter-island services.
The Vessel Traffic Monitoring and
Reporting Regulations (LN 458 of 2004)
were promulgated to transpose Directive
2002/59/EC of the European Parliament
and of the Council of the 27th June 2002
establishing a community vessel traffic
monitoring and information system
with a view to enhancing the safety and
efficiency of maritime traffic, improving
the response of authorities to incidents,
accidents or potentially dangerous
situations at sea, including search and
rescue operations, and contributing to
a better prevention an detection of
pollution by ships.
In order to effectively implement these
requirements, the Directorate is involved
in the setting up of a Vessel Traffic Service,
a project funded by EU. A Twinning
project will also assist in capacity building
involving short-term experts from
Member States who will assist in the
upgrading and further development of the
Marine Environment Risk Management
System and in the Vessel Traffic Service
operating procedures.
Another study partially funded by the
EU, which included the participation
of the Malta Maritime Pilots and Tug
Malta Ltd, is the Port Safety Study.
This project included a risk analysis of
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the two principal ports of Valletta and
Marsaxlokk, development of geographical
models of the ports, analyses to determine
"operational envelopes" and simulation
training to pilots and tugmasters. The
Directorate is also represented on two EU
Technical Committees, namely SafeSeaNet
Group and MarNIS Advisory Board.
Apart from promoting our ports, attracting
new business and further maximizing on
the ports potential, the Malta Maritime
Authority has, this year been involved
in the establishment of a Shortsea
Promotion Centre. A Memorandum
of Understanding was submitted and
proposals for the development of SSS
and Motorways of the Sea with
neighbouring EU countries were
concluded. The Ports Directorate
has been very active in the EuroMed
Transport Forum, and its various activities
and projects and in the Wider Europe
High Level Group. The objectives of these
fora include the facilitation of maritime
trade in the Mediterranean, the promotion
of projects that improve existing shipping
and ports infrastructure, the enhancement
of cohesion amongst EU member States
and third countries and the exchange of
know-how and technology.
Port Working Hours
The regular office hours of the Ports
Directorate are Monday to Friday,
excluding public holidays from 08.00
hours to 17.00 hours. The Port Duty
Officer is available for duty at any time
of day or night and may be contacted
outside regular hours through the Valletta
Port Control on Tel. No. 21 241 363/4
or directly on 9949 4313. All port services
are provided on a 24-hour basis.
Port workers may be engaged for work
according to one of the following three
shift options:
- On a daily basis, commencing at 0800
up to 1700 hours, with a one-hour
break from noon to 1300 hours.
- On a 14 hour shift basis:
Day Shift from
0800 to 1500 hours.
Evening shift
from 1500 to 2200 hours.
- On a 24 hour shift basis:
Day shift from
0800 to 1600 hours.
Evening shift
from 1600 to 2400 hours.
Night shift
from 2400 to 0800 hours.
Pilotage
With respect to pilotage services, the
Directorate responsible to ascertain that
the Malta Maritime Pilots Co-operative
Society Limited adheres to its contractual
obligations as established by the Maritime
Pilotage Regulations 2003 and the
Agreement entered into between the
Authority and the Co-operative.
Pilotage is compulsory for vessels
exceeding 500GT, except in cases where
ships are unable to obtain the services of
a pilot owing to weather conditions or
when the ship is exempt from pilotage
by the Authority.
Pilots board vessels at the Pilot Stations
located outside Valletta and Marsaxlokk.
In bad weather, boarding may be restricted
to the harbour entrance. Pilotage is
available on a 24-hour basis.
Valletta Gateway Terminals
Singapore-listed ports equipment firm
Portek has secured a 30-year concession
to operate a multi-purpose terminal in
Malta. The concession was secured from
the Malta Maritime Authority by Valletta
Gateway Terminals, in which Portek has
a 55% stake. The Maltese conglomerate
Tumas Group, which has interests
across Europe in the hotel and property
development industry, holds the remaining
45%. The concession, which started on
1 July 2006, will involve VGT handling
containers, ro-ro containers, break bulk
and cars at the Port of Valletta.
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