Korea to provide Ghana with a Training Ship

The Republic of Korea is to provide Ghana with a Training Ship to train Seafarers and Cadets with the requisite professional skills, Mr Awudu Enusah, Principal Maritime Administration Officer, Ghana Maritime Authority has announced.

The two countries have signed an agreement, officials from Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) and a delegation from Korea had also met to discuss other operational details.

Mr Enusah said training design would be geared towards positioning Ghanaian Seafarers to meet the demands of modern seamanship.

According to him, the GMA was considering the introduction of a condition that would compel vessels operating in Ghanaian waters to take up some Ghanaian seafarers for training in their deficient area.

“What we want to do is that, as part of the pre-conditions for the issuance of a permit to work within our waters, you would have to take on board some of our ratings and officers.

“So at the end of every year, before renewal, you would have to declare the number of ratings and officers you have trained”.

Mr Ensuah said these actions were part of efforts geared towards addressing the concern of inadequate employment opportunities for Ghanaian Seafarers.

He added that they would also ensure that rating courses were renewed to conform to the Manila Convention to ensure that every rating that passes out of Ghana’s institutions could rock shoulders with any other Seafarer from every part of the world.

Mr Enusah indicated that much work had been done to ensure that Ghana was on the International Maritime Organisation whitelist, which is an audit report of nations complying with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).

He further disclosed that the GMA was promoting the implementation of a Cabotage law that would seek to make certain maritime operations a preserve for Ghanaians.