The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has reiterated assurance to the Ghana Police Service of the Authority’s full commitment in collaborating to ensure the security of the ports to facilitate trade and safeguard revenues for the state.
The reassurance of the Authority was made when the new Deputy Tema Regional Police Commander, DCOP Anderson Fosu-Ackaah, paid a working visit to GPHA. Upon arrival, he was welcomed by the Director General of GPHA, Michael Luguje, who stressed that the port Authority will continue to cooperate with the security agencies in the Port to guard the strength of Ghana’s Ports as the most secured in the sub-region.
The Director General was accompanied by a team of management staff from his outfit as he resounded the significant role of security for the sea trade. Mr. Luguje went on to praise the already existing relationship between the Port Authority and the Tema Police Regional Command.
The new Deputy Tema Regional Police Commander in his response to GPHA’s boss assured to maintain and contribute to deepen the existing relations between the two institutions and assured of his outfit’s commitment to provide satisfactory security in the Port.
A deputy Manager in charge of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at GPHA later took DCOP Fosu-Ackaah through an array of efforts and investments made by GPHA to improve services in the Port.
Govts’ pledge action for seafarers at international crew change summit
The governments of 12 countries issued a joint statement pledging their commitment to help solve the current seafarer ‘crisis’ at an International Maritime Virtual Summit on Crew Changes hosted by the UK, also urging other nations to follow suit.
“The inability of ship operators worldwide to conduct ship’s crew changes (during the pandemic) is the single most pressing maritime operational challenge to the safe and efficient movement of global trade,”
the statement read.
According to them, the unanimity shown following the outbreak has demonstrated the importance of protecting maritime transportation which is a major facilitator of global trade.
“Our collective efforts to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have demonstrated the critical need to prioritise the continued functioning of global supply chains to ensure the resilience of our national economies, and the importance of facilitating the safe and efficient operation of the maritime transportation system, which moves over 80% of global trade.”
Since March 2020, only about 25% of normal crew changes have taken place, it stated, leaving more than 200,000 seafarers stranded at sea awaiting repatriation, while a similar number wait ashore to relieve them.
