Harbour Master of the Tema Port, Captain Francis Kwesi Micah, has posited that the cost of doing business at the nation’s seaports is likely to increase given the recent piracy attacks on Ghanaian vessels.
Speaking on the Eye on Port programme monitored by norvanreports, Captain Micah averred issues of piracy attacks usually result in increment in premiums on risk allowances which also leads to increased tariffs charged at ports.
Consequently, increased tariffs ultimately result in higher cost of doing business at the ports.
“Piracy attacks affect premiums on allowances making them more expensive and that automatically reflects in tariffs charged at the port, thereby increasing the cost of doing business or facilitating trade in and out of your country,” he stated.
“And this as we all know is then transferred to consumers,” he added.
Speaking further, the Harbour Master of the Tema Port averred the piracy attacks, if they continue, will make Ghana’s ports unattractive.
Captain Micah’s assertion comes on the back of two recent piracy attacks on Ghanaian-registered vessels.
The first piracy attack occurred on May 19, 2021, where 5 expatriates were kidnapped after pirates hijacked a Ghanaian-registered tuna vessel on Atlantic Princess approximately 66NM South of Tema, Ghana.
The recent incident occurred on May 31, 2021, in which four Koreans and a Filipino were abducted from a Ghanaian registered fishing vessel in the Gulf of Guinea, Benin waters to be specific.
Related Story: Adherence to ISPS code to resolve piracy attacks on Ghanaian vessels – Captain Francis Kweku
Per information gathered, 6 pirates armed with AK47 rifles boarded the commercial fishing vessel through her starboard side.
According to Second Officer, Mark Afedi Mensah who was onboard the vessel, hours prior to the attack, they spotted an unidentified tanker near the horizon but could not at the time establish whether that was a mother vessel of the pirates or not.
He said the darkness combined with the tactics deployed by the pirates made it impossible for them to deploy evasive maneuvers.
An assigned observer from the Fisheries Commission, Paul Odonkor said though no crew was harmed, the pirates during their short stay, disabled the vessel’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) and rummaged the cabins of the vessel for crew’s belongings.
Speaking further on the programme, Captain Micah also noted that strict adherence to the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code by ports and vessels will help check the growing menace of piracy on Ghanaian vessels.
The International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code is an amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention (1974/1988) on Maritime security including minimum security arrangements for ships and ports.
It prescribes responsibilities to governments, shipping companies, shipboard personnel, and port/facility personnel to detect security threats and take preventive measures against security incidents affecting ships or port facilities used in international trade.
According to Captain Micah, the ISPS code stands tall as a way of nipping piracy in the bud.
