Cabinet passes Accident Investigation & Prevention Bill; To improve air transport safety

Cabinet has approved the formation of the Accident Investigation and Prevention Bill, 2020.

The decision taken by cabinet aims at maintaining a safer air transport sector.

After this Bill is assented to by the President, the Act will provide for the establishment of a bureau which will function as an autonomous entity with the mandate to investigate into aircraft accidents.

Speaking at the inauguration of the National Aviation Safety Coordination Group, (NASCG), the Minister of Aviation, Joseph Kofi Adda noted that the Act will improve transport safety and increase the public’s confidence in Ghana’s aviation sector.

“I am happy to announce that the Ministry has received approval from cabinet for the establishment of an Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau. Accordingly, the Ministry is working with the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice to prepare the Bill which has been laid in Parliament for consideration and passage. We are going to have a committee meeting under a certificate of urgency to see if we can pass this within the two weeks because considering the importance of this Bill and the way Ghana has performed globally, it is important we pass this Bill this year.”

In addition, Mr Adda stated that the inauguration of the National Aviation Safety Coordination Group, (NASCG), will go a long way to further strengthen and safeguard the safety protocols prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

In the meantime, a Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Charles Krakue has expressed the need for more collaboration with other stakeholders to ensure a safety in the air space.

“A framework which will allow GCAA and the identified State agencies in attendance here to interact more effectively in the resolution of safety concerns, I am pleased to announce that the SSP will combine prescriptive and performance-based approaches to safety rulemaking, safety policy development and safety oversight in our industry.”

In 2016, Ghana invested nearly $400 million in the expansion and modernization of Terminal 3 of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA). The terminal was completed in June 2018 and was opened to traffic three months later.

The move was part of a bigger plan to attract eight million tourists annually by 2027, with the view to making the country an aviation hub within the sub-region.

Last year, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) rated Ghana’s aviation safety as the best in Africa after a safety audit of the country’s aviation sector.

Ghana obtained Africa’s highest score in Aviation Safety Oversight after it received the Effective Implementation rate of 89.89 per cent following the ICAO’s conclusion of its Coordinated Validation Mission.

The audit covered Ghana’s safety oversight system on all eight ICAO critical elements. This included primary aviation legislation, state operating regulations and state civil aviation system, safety functions and technical personnel qualification and training.