Seafarers back Black Star Line revival

The Maritime Professionals Club (MPC), a professional body of seafarers and marine engineers in the country, has backed proposals to restore the defunct state-owned shipping line, the Black Star Line.

According to the group, the revival of the once vibrant national shipping line will enhance the country’s fortunes on the global trade fronts and reposition the sea trade sector to drive the economy.

First-Vice of the group, Ing. Teddy Mensah, at a press conference in Tema said: “Available data shows that there has been consistent growth in both container traffic and general trade over the last decade.

This has obviously led to increase in freight and terminal handling charges and that is one area the absence of a national shipping line is costing the economy.

“Because there is no local vessel playing an active role in the transport of cargo, we are currently sitting on about 70 percent of our maritime trade potential with regards to the relevance of the sector to socio-economic development.”

President John Dramani Mahama indicated recently at the first anniversary of the National Single Window programme in Accra that government was working to re-introduce the national shipping line as part of efforts to maximize the potential of the port expansion projects currently underway in the country.

The Black Star Line established shortly after independence in 1957, became the first national shipping line formed as part of other development vehicles bankrolled by the state as a statement of national empowerment in marine trade alongside other projects such as the Tema and Takoradi ports, the Tema Shipyard and Dry Dock Company, the Regional Maritime University (RMU) and the State Fishing Corporation.

But the idea behind the birth of the Black Star Line to spearhead the maximisation of resources in the shipping and marine sector was cut short when the vessel became defunct due to, among others, government’s interference in the operation of vessels, poor management and marketing strategies as well as the lack of innovation and biased cargo agents selling to foreign carriers for personal gains, among others.

According to Ing. Mensah, seaport trade is expanding and if the economy could make any significant gains from the ongoing port expansion projects, then government should make a committed effort to establish a national shipping line.

He argued further that countries have enhanced their economies with improved maritime transport and logistics and that without active participation, the economy stands to lose out on the lucrative benefits of sea trade as a port country.

He indicated: “All that we are pushing for is the growth of the maritime sector; an economic area that boasts vast socio-economic gains of creating sustainable jobs, strong contribution to national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and improving the livelihoods of coast dwellers.

We want government to be dedicated towards revamping the national shipping line; we have the competence and technical expertise to run it sustainably and profitably.”

Ing. Mensah said: “We are in the election times where we hear various promises here and there; but we want government to act on the pledge the revamp the national shipping line.

“Our appeal to government is that the desire should translate to a vision to achieve the ultimate for the betterment of the country’s maritime sector and the realisation of the socio-economic benefits it brings.”