Govt must commit to maritime pledges in manifesto - Center for Maritime Affairs

The Centre for International Maritime Affairs has reiterated its commitment to hold political parties to the promises made on maritime when voted into office.

The Executive Director of the Centre for International Maritime Affairs Ghana (CiMAG), Albert Derrick Fiatui told GhanaWeb that his outfit will hold politicians accountable to their maritime sector pledges.

“CiMAG commends the parties for their policy commitments to the maritime industry. We also commend the National Democratic Congress(NDC) for taking up our advocacy to establish a national shipping line. As such, we shall hold any of them to their commitment when they emerge victorious in the elections’, he said.

CiMAG also lauded government’s intention to push forward the long held advocacy of establishing a National Shipping Line, among others with the coming of AfCTA.

“The centre will hold the parties to their commitments without fear or favor in the interest of the general public. The remains committed to monitoring the policy terrain for the development of the maritime sector and job creation.”

The executive director further said, for a sustainable Ghanaian economy amidst the recent global pandemic, policymakers should formulate policies that possess unique strategies to build a robust system.

Meanwhile, as fears of a global recession and shortage of food and other essential goods grow, the Ghana Maritime Authority says there is no noticeable reduction in cargo vessel traffic to the country yet.

The Deputy Director, Ship Inspections & Marine Security at GMA, Captain Emmanuel Ankamah, said the figures show that despite lockdowns across the world, cargo ships have continued to call at Ghana’s ports.

As part of government’s response to the outbreak of the Coronavirus in Ghana, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced the closure of Ghana’s borders. Cargo ships were, however, exempt.

The GMA, which regulates the maritime industry in Ghana, issued guidelines - that mirror similar ones issued by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) – to all port authorities to ensure that while ships come in, no crew imports the deadly coronavirus into the country.