The Deputy Minister of Transport, Daniel Titus-Glover has launched the Ghana ship suppliers association.
The association which is into the supply of vessels is committed to making a great impact in the maritime industry in the light of port transformation in Ghana.
The Deputy Minister urged members of the association to upgrade their skills in order to attract more investors for their business.
He said “I also want to encourage you that for you to sustain in business and am happy that you having your first inauguration here at RMU. We need to upgrade our skills and I am sure that Regional Maritime University will offer that opportunity and once awhile you come back and upgrade.”
He also urged the association to purge itself of miscreants and also take advantage of ICT to boost their business.
“We are also in an ICT world. You can sit in the comfort of your home when the ships are calling in the Tema port, the application of the software of the company enables you to just apply. Just like the CUBAG representative said, after they have finish discharging and the vessels are still berthing at the port, they are wasting the space because other ships have come and berth and discharge, but if they give advance notice and with the application of ICT they will be provided with the necessary tools to gate them out of the port,” he added.
The Director of Tema Port, Edward Kofi Osei said Ghana’s Port Authority is working diligently to increase the cargo that comes through the port from 14million tons per year to 20million tons.
He said the Tema Port expansion project will open up the country for more businesses including transshipment, hence, the need for the Ghana Ship Suppliers association to position themselves.
“We also know that with the MPS expansion, Tema port or Ghana will become a hub in West Africa and with that there would be an increase in the number of vessels that will be calling in at Tema port and transshipment is going to go through the roof,” he stated.
The Vice-Chancellor of the Regional Maritime University, Prof Elvis Nyarko urged members of the association to conform to international best practices in their business activities.
He noted: “As a trade association I urge you to ensure that your members conform to and also apply international best practices into your business activities as you carry along the image of Ghana to where ever you may be, I will also plead with you that as you expand please think of the youth who are looking up to you for jobs.”
