By Kodjo Adams
Accra, Oct. 1, GNA – Mrs Dorcas Affo-Toffey, the Deputy Minister of Transport, has assured Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) of the Ministry’s support to enhance its operation effectively. Â
She underscored the sector’s key role in facilitating and promoting maritime trade to boost the country’s development agenda.
The Minister gave the assurance on Wednesday when she led a team to pay a familiarisation tour to the GMA headoffice in Accra.
The Minister also visited the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) head office in Accra.
The tour afforded the Minister the opportunity to interact with the staff and chart the way forward towards improving the sector.
She said the government, through President Mahama, had resolved the visa issue with the Embassy of the United States of America to facilitate seamless business with the country’s seafarers internationally.
The government, she stressed, was working assiduously to resolve similar challenges with the government of Brazil, calling for collaboration to address any bottlenecks within the maritime sector.
She commended the staff for their selfless dedication to duty and urged them not to renege on their performance but to do more in serving the nation for sustained growth.
Dr Kamal-Deen Ali, the Acting Director-General of GMA, said the Authority had, among other things, investigated maritime casualties, advised the government on maritime matters and regulated shipping activities and safety on inland waterways.
The Authority, he stressed, ensured safety of transportation on inland waterways by conducting boat surveys and inspections and enforcing safety regulations.
He appealed to the government to invest in surveillance equipment and speedily worked on the legislative processes in the sector to meet international standards.
Dr Ali announced that the Authority intended to expand its operations along the coastal areas, including Jomoro, Ahanta, Apam and the Eastern Region in Ada.
At the GSA, Professor Randsford Gyampo, the Chief Executive, said the Minister’s presence signified her interest in the organisation to support improving the sector.
He said the Authority was established in 1974 to safeguard and advance the shipping industry, aiming to create the conducive atmosphere to ensure fairness among the players.
He lauded the government’s 24-hour economy policy, adding that the system required efficient logistics without interruption to ensure its full outcomes.
Prof Gyampo said the Boankra Inland Port  project was 80 per cent complete and appealed to the government to ensure its full completion.
The project is a major infrastructure initiative in Ghana’s Ashanti Region aimed at creating a logistics terminal to connect Tema and Takoradi ports to the landlocked West African countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
He said the contractor had threatened to leave the project due to the $50 million owed him but was optimistic that the Ministry would intervene to address the issues.
The Deputy Minister in response assured GSA to relay their challenges to the appropriate authority for redress.
She said the sector played a significant role in the country’s quest to create job opportunities for the youth and also stimulate economic growth.
Mrs Affo-Toffey said the government was poised to address the cost of doing business at the port by reviewing the taxes and others to retain and attract clients in the sector.
“We are a listening government and will work to develop policies to make our port the best across the sub-region,” she said.
GNA 
Christian Akorlie