By Elizabeth Larkwor Baah, GNA
Tema, March 20, GNA — Dr. Kamal-Deen Ali, Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), has reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to strengthening entry processes for cruise vessels to give them the best experience when they visit the country.
Dr. Ali said his outfit would collaborate with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to ensure smooth entry and exit of vessels to bolster Ghana’s maritime sector and reinforce the nation’s position as a regional shipping hub.
He said this when he, together with the transport and tourism ministers, visited and toured the cruise vessel ‘World Odyssey’, which is also a floating university, when it docked at the Tema Port as part of its global voyage.
The ship serves as a learning platform for students from various countries, offering academic programmes while sailing across continents.
Dr. Ali mentioned that cruise ships visits were very important for countries as they promoted businesses and exposed the country to the international community, saying that Ghana continued to have cruise ships visiting the country, hence the need to ensure that they had a great experience during the visit.
He noted that GMA played a crucial role in regulatory enforcement, safety, and compliance with international maritime standards, stressing that he was committed to ensuring that the sector operated efficiently while maintaining the highest regulatory standards.
“The landlord of the port is GPHA, but we also provide certain regulatory activities regarding the entry of the port. So, working with my colleagues at GPHA, we will provide a very smooth entry of the cruise ship into this port,” he stated.
Dr. Ali noted that although some cruise ships already docked at Tema, there had been growing interest in cruise ship arrivals at Elmina, which was not yet a fully developed port, adding that the GMA, in collaboration with key stakeholders, was taking steps to enhance security measures at Elmina to temporarily meet the necessary requirements whenever a cruise ship calls at the port.
He further highlighted the authorities’ commitment to promoting seafaring as a viable career path for Ghanaian youth, ensuring they could access various employment opportunities in the maritime sector, adding that GMA was partnering with Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) and the Regional Maritime University to equip them for the industry.
He added that Ghana held a strong reputation in the global cruise industry, indicating that the GMA was taking strategic steps to fully capitalise on the opportunities presented in the sector.
GNA
LS/CA