The Merchant Shipping Act of 1963, under which only Ghanaians were allowed to register ships in the country is being reviewed under a new shipping bill to create more job opportunities for seafarers.

The new bill is also designed to be responsive to the challenges of modern shipping and to promote the growth and development of the various sub-sectors of the maritime industry. Vice President John Evans Atta Mills, who announced this at Tema, said the bill which is ready for consideration by Parliament makes provision for the registration of ships chartered on Bare-boat Charter basis by Ghanaians. Ghanaians in joint-venture relationship with foreign nationals in shipping can also register ships in Ghana.

Prof. Mills was speaking during an official visit to the PSC Tema Shipyard, during which he inspected facilities there and commissioned an 87 million cedis new clinic for the workers and their dependants. He said the adoption of restrictive registration limited the number of Ghanaian ships and thereby jobs for seafarers. The Vice President said the new bill also provides a licensing regime for agents that provide manpower for ships in order to streamline recruitment and guarantee the welfare of seafarers.

It also provides for equal opportunity for all Ghanaians to obtain employment on both Ghanaian and foreign registered ships without having to pay huge sums of money to manning agents. Prof. Mills said Ghana and Nigeria are co-ordinating a fast-track programme for the establishment of coastal shipping line for West and Central Africa. This would also create jobs for the seafarers. Ghana, he said, has also ratified and is implementing all the relevant international conventions on seafarers.

The Shipping Division of the Ministry of Roads and Transport has so far achieved 80 - 90 per cent implementation level of the International Convention on Standards of Training Certification and Watch-keeping of 1995. Prof. Mills said the government is concerned about services delivered by the Shipyard since it is crucial to performance of the maritime transport sub-sector, which accounts for the movement of 90 per cent of Ghana's external trade. It is also crucial for the performance of the fishing sub-sector, since nearly all the local fishing and cargo vessels serving the nation's seaports and harbours, are maintained and repaired at PSC Tema Shipyard.

Mr Raihan Omar, Managing Director of the Shipyard, said the company has embarked on a restructuring exercise since May, to bring it back to the gains it achieved in its first two years of operation between 1997 and 1999. "It is our vision to make PSC Tema Shipyard a premier in the West African Sub-region", Mr Omar said.