Licence your luxury ships in 15 days or be sued – GMA to ship owners

The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has given luxury or pleasure ship-owners a 15-day ultimatum to register or licence their ships or face legal actions.

According to the GMA, every ship owner operating within Ghanaian waters is mandated under section 3 and 40 of Act 645 to register or licence their ship; whichever is applicable depending on the size, type and voyage of the ship.

For the purpose of the registration, ships, the GMA noted, have been defined under section 481 of Act 645 to include every description of vessel used in navigation, other than canoe, however, propelled and other water craft propelled by oars.

“In this regard, notice is hereby served on all ship-owners of luxury crafts and pleasure crafts to visit the ship registry of the Authority with the requisite documentation for the purpose of registration/licensing their ships,” a statement from the Authority said.

It added that “failure to comply with this notice within 15 days from this publication shall be deemed as a breach of the law under section 456 of Act 645 and will result in legal action against the ship-owner.”

The GMA is the body mandated by law under the Ghana Shipping Act, 2003 (ACT 654) to register and issue license to ships operating within Ghanaian waters.