ATHENS, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The digital revolution, which has been accelerated after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic in Greece, has also reached the country's Coast Guard which presented on Wednesday a new online platform offering a series of licensing services to citizens and companies as part of efforts to ease bureaucracy.

At the headquarters of the Coast Guard at Piraeus port, Greek Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Ioannis Plakiotakis and other officials presented an application for the electronic submission and processing of applications for a series of licenses issued by Port Police offices nationwide.

In the initial phase which starts in November, the platform will cover 10 categories of activities, ranging from issuance of licenses for lifeguards and diving schools to leasing motorboats and small speedboats.

"A new digital era begins in the relations of the Coast Guard with Greek society. Citizens and companies will now be offered services in a modern and user-friendly digital environment, without the need for physical presence and with no delays," the minister told a press conference.

"It is an innovative process. We are upgrading and improving the quality of service provided to people," Greece's Coast guard chief, Vice Admiral Theodoros Kliaris said.

In 2018 and 2019 more than 3,500 applications were submitted and processed for these 10 activities, therefore a significant load will be lifted, he noted.

"By next summer, we intend to include all services provided by the Port Police, an additional list of 25 functions," explained Charalambos Maroulakis, head of the Port police unit, referring as an example to licensing for ship repairs.

Since spring, many public services along with enterprises have embraced online platforms at an impressive pace with Greek Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis repeatedly stating that achieved within a few months was what had not been achieved in years.

At Piraeus port, many operations have been digitized in recent years also in the context of Sino-Greek cooperation. This summer, for example, Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) S.A., a member of China's COSCO Shipping group, announced that its vehicle logistics go digital to improve the efficiency and transparency of vehicle handling at the port's car terminal and further strengthen its role in international vehicle trade.

COSCO Shipping acquired the majority of PPA's shares in 2016 after an international tender, while its subsidiary, Piraeus Container Terminal S.A. (PCT), has been managing the port's container terminal since 2009. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)