Transport minister calls on maritime stakeholders to ensure industry safety

The Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, has called on stakeholders in the maritime sector to come up with measures to ensure safety in the industry. 

"I urge all stakeholders to take up the challenge and ensure that in navigating the maritime sector towards an efficient future, safety always remains a priority," he added.

Mr Asiamah said with the evolving trends in the sector, there was the need for the training of more skilled manpower and the deployment of innovative technologies and safe systems to boost the industry.

The minister made the call at the opening session of World Maritime Day (WMD) in Accra yesterday on the theme: "Prioritising safety in a transforming maritime landscape."

It was organised by the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), and brought together policymakers, industry players, academia and other stakeholders in the sector.

Shipping constitutes the backbone of many economies across the world. Statistics by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) shows that 90 per cent of global trade is seaborne, facilitating the import of essential goods on one hand, and the export of valuable goods on the other.

Regulatory framework

The minister, whose speech was delivered by the Deputy Minister of Transport, Hassan Tampuli, further emphasised the need for safety at all levels in the industry, including design and construction of vessels, ship operations, activities at ports and the entire maritime logistics value chain.

He said it was in line with this that the IMO had established and kept revising regulatory frameworks towards ensuring safety and security, as well as protecting the maritime environment from pollution.

Mr Asiamah said the government was committed to providing the needed infrastructure for the maritime sector, while efforts were made to improve the human resource needed to drive transformation in the industry. 

Welfare

The Deputy Director-General of the GMA, Yaw Akosa Antwi, said the welfare of seafarers must always be a priority by ensuring that they were well equipped and also offered the requisite training skills to give of their best.

"The maritime industry holds its success to their hard work and sacrifices, and we must honour that by safeguarding their rights, health and livelihoods," he said.

Mr Antwi also said that it was important to leverage technology advancements such as automation, digital navigation systems and autonomous vessels to transform the industry.

He further called for strengthening of international regulations, adding that "as we navigate the future, standards will evolve to address new challenges, whether in green shipping, maritime security or seafarer safety”.

"We must remember that safety is a shared responsibility. Every entity involved in maritime supply chain like ship owners, operators, flag states and regulatory bodies must work in tandem at every level," Mr Antwi added.

Collaboration

For his part, the Project Coordinator of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Naval Captain Derrick Attachie, underscored the need to prioritise research and innovation in the industry.

He also encouraged young people to take up careers in the maritime sector.

The Naval Captain further called for comprehensive training programmes to build the capacity of seafarers to function efficiently, while strengthening internal regulatory systems to protect the country’s maritime ecosystem.