By Eric Appah Marfo
Accra, Feb. 25, GNA — Mr Joseph Bukari Nikpe, the Minister of Transport, Tuesday urged the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) to work closely with the Ministry to ensure the safety of Ghana’s maritime space for business to thrive.
He assured the Authority of the Government’s support to enforce maritime laws, improve security and enhance regulatory compliance to attract more shipping lines and increase economic opportunities for the country.
“We’ll be with you to tackle and handle the challenges and to see how we can make Ghana’s Maritime Authority one of the best in the world,” he said.
“The legislation is there. All that’s left with is how to enforce, inspect and ensure that our marine sector is safe,”
Mr Nikpe was on a working visit to the GMA in Accra, which provided the opportunity for discussions on legislative improvements, enforcement strategies, and infrastructure projects aimed at strengthening Ghana’s maritime sector.
He highlighted the critical role of the maritime industry in global trade, with over 80 per cent of the world’s merchandise being transported by sea.
Ghana’s strategic position in the sub-region provided a significant opportunity to boost its maritime economy if the necessary structures were strengthened, he noted.
Mr Nikpe said Ghana’s coastal road networks were increasingly congested, making it necessary to improve inland water transport as an alternative means of transportation.
“Our coastal line is choked when it comes to traffic, meaning that we have to take some of the traffic off the roads to our waters. If they are not safe, I am not sure we will be able to do that.”
Despite the economic challenges inherited by the current administration, the Government remained committed to creating jobs and expanding opportunities, with the GMA playing a crucial role in that vision, the Minister said.
He acknowledged the challenges facing the GMA, including inadequate funding for key projects and the need to enhance enforcement mechanisms.
He assured the Authority of the Ministry’s support in addressing those issues, particularly in maritime pollution, inland waterway safety and infrastructure development.
Mr Nikpe encouraged the staff to support their new Director-General in achieving the Authority’s mandate.
Dr Kamal-Deen Ali, the Director-General, GMA, expressed gratitude for the minister’s visit and reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to strengthening Ghana’s maritime sector.
He said the GMA was working on several initiatives to boost employment, including the Crew and Maritime Jobs Creation Drive, aimed at increasing job opportunities for Ghanaian seafarers.
The Director-General said the GMA was in the process of upgrading its maritime surveillance systems to enhance security and monitoring within Ghana’s territorial waters.
The new technology, he indicated, would allow the Authority to effectively monitor up to 200 nautical miles within Ghana’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Dr Ali said Ghana was globally recognised for its efforts in protecting the marine environment and pledged the Authority’s continuous enforcement of strict environmental regulations to sustain the gains made.
As part of the visit, Captain Inusa Abdul Nasir, Director of Technical, GMA, made a presentation highlighting the Authority’s mandate and key initiatives.
The GMA was established by the Ghana Maritime Authority Act, 2002 (Act 630), with the responsibility of coordinating, regulating, and monitoring activities in the maritime industry.
Captain Inusa emphasised the need for Ghana to formulate and enforce maritime laws that aligned with global standards to maintain its position on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) whitelist.
He touched on the Authority’s efforts to promote employment for Ghanaian seafarers through agreements with major flag states.
“We have signed MoUs with major flag states for recognition of the Ghanian seafarer’s certificate. Through our efforts, Ghana was put on the whitelist of the IMO, which means that our certificates are capable to be used for special purposes,”he said.
“Ghanian seafarers can now access jobs on ships of major flags.”
Captain Inusa highlighted the job creation potential of ship recycling, noting Ghana’s ratification of ahe Hong Kong Convention, which promotes the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships.
He said the GMA, in collaboration with the Ghana Navy and Marine Police, conducted regular patrols to combat illicit activities such as piracy and illegal fishing.
GNA