The International Maritime Organization in partnership with the Ghana Maritime Authority has organised a self-auditing training exercise and workshop on port facilities under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport.

The workshop was aimed at further equipping port agencies with the required skills of the International Shipping and Port Security code for carrying out Port Security Self-Auditing.

In attendance were the Ministers of Transport, Director General of the GMA and his officials, the Director General of GPHA and some selected managers, CEO of Ghana Shippers’ Authority as well as representatives from the IMO.

With the country poised to revolutionize its industrial sector and the Port being a focal unit to propel this development, it has been critical for the ports of Ghana to further fortify its safety and security capacity to enable a smooth transitioning.

Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, expressed Ghana’s ports commitment to keeping with the ISPS code in enhancing security and safety in the ports and its facilities.

He further acknowledged the need for these engagements with IMO that would enable the development of effective Port Security procedures that in turn would improve the national capacity to self-audit.

He then encouraged collaboration among port agencies to reaching optimum management of security at the port.

The Director General of GMA, Kwame Owusu noted the high relevance of the program and commended IMO’s extension to offer expertise in such a highly sensitive area as port security.

He envisioned that the workshop would enable participants to acquire the requisite knowledge directly related to the implementation of SOLAS Chapter X1-2 and the ISPS Code as well as other maritime security related instruments.

He also commended the Danish government who were the funders of the workshop.

Captain Dallas Eric Laryea, the IMO Regional Coordinator for West and Central Africa (Anglophone), highlighted that it is in the light of reaching a safe and secure maritime atmosphere as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, that IMO reaches to put measures that project the international maritime scene as such.

He acknowledged Ghana’s submissiveness in in supporting IMO. He then assured that the experts assigned for the workshop by IMO would inculcate remedies that would boost port security.