Merchant Shipping Act (Cap. 234), article 243

243. (1) The Minister may, at the request of the government of a country to which the Safety C onvention applies, issue in resp ect of a ship registered in that country any certificate the issue of which in respect of a Maltese sh ip is authorised under the fore going provisions of this Part of this Act if he is satisfied that it is proper for him to do so; and a certificate issued in pursuance of such a request and containing a statemen t that it has been so issued s hall have effect for the purposes of this Act as if it had been issu ed by the said government an d not by the Minister. (2) The Minister may make such regulations as appear to him to be necessary for the purpose of securing that certificates i ssued in accordance with the Safety Convention by the government of any country other than Malta in respect of Safety Convention ships not registered under this Act, or having effect under the prece ding sub-article as if so issued, shall be accepted as having the sa me force as corresponding certificat es issued by the Minister unde r this Act; and any certificate required by those regulations to be so treated is in this Act referred to as an "accepted Safety Conve ntion certificate". (3) A surveyor of ships may verify: (a) that there is in force in respect of a Safety Convention ship not registered under this Act an accepted Safety Convention certificate; (b) that the condition of the hull, equipment and machinery of any such Safety Convention ship corresponds substantially with the particulars shown in such certificate; (c) except where such certificat e states that the ship is wholly exempt from the provisions of the Safety Convention relating to radiotelegraphy and radiotelephony, that the number, grades and qualifications of radio officers or operators on board correspond with those show n in the certificate; (d) that any conditions on which such a certificate, being an equivalent of an exemption certificate, is issued are 118 CAP. 234.] MERCHANT SHIPPING complied with. (4) Where there is attached to an accepted Safety Convention certificate in respect of a Safe ty Convention passenger ship no t registered under this Act a memorandum which - (a) has been issued by or under the authority of the government of the country in which the ship is registered; and (b) modifies, for the purpose of any particular voyage, in view of the number of persons carried on that voyage, the particulars stated in th e certificate with respect to life-saving appliances, the certificate shall have effect, for the purpose of that voya ge, as if it were modified in accordance with the memorandum. Passenger ship holding Convention certificates.