Mr Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes, Speaker of Parliament on Tuesday called on the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) and stakeholders to remain focused in creating a vibrant industry to support government’s development efforts. He said with the recent oil discovery, the role of the maritime industry to the economic development of Ghana would become more pronounced since the nation would grapple with new challenges in monitoring shipping activities in order to forestall unlawful activities against vessels and oil rigs. Mr Sekyi Hughes made the call at the celebration of this year’s World Maritime Day, intended to bring to public attention the challenges of the maritime industry. World Maritime Day is celebrated every year by the International Community to focus attention on the importance of shipping, maritime safety and also to emphasize particular aspects of the International Maritime Organisation's work. This year's Day was celebrated under the theme: "International Maritime Organization: 60 years in the Service of Shipping.” Mr Sekyi Hughes appealed to the GMA to expedite action to eliminate functional overlaps of agencies within the industry that had increased the cost of business transactions. He said urged the industry to provide safe, secure and cost effective maritime services, the absence of which the industry would not progress, especially for the fact that 90 per cent of Ghana's external trade was carried by maritime transport. "We live in a competitive world and our circumstances cannot be an excuse for being disadvantaged.” Mr Sekyi Hughes said the industry held great potentials for Ghana to accelerate its development and called on stakeholders to be more responsive to the socio-economic development of the country. He advised the GMA to take the suggestion of President John Agyekum Kufuor, that the Authority submitted proposals on a draft legal instrument and sanction regimes to enable government to put some sanity in the shipping industry, particularly on unjustifiable container administrative fees and other bottlenecks that had become the thrust of government's efforts at making Ghana the investment focus of the sub-region. Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse, Chief Adviser to the President, also urged the GMA to take the necessary steps to halt the trend of shipping lines abusing the system due to lack of regulation and posing burdens on importers and exporters, thus eroding government’s efforts at making Ghana investment friendly. She said government supported ongoing efforts to install and operate a Vessel Traffic Monitoring Information Systems (VTMIS) to effectively manage Ghana's maritime domain, as the current aim of the GMA was the security of the oil find and gas projects. Harbours and Railways Minister, Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi noted that the provision of safe, secure and cost effective maritime transport services for international commerce was very crucial for global competitiveness. The GMA, he said, had adopted measures, including the engagement of consultants to develop a Quality Management System based on international requirements to solve the challenges of the industry and to create the enabling environment for safe and efficient shipping.Source: GNA