Citing the theme for the conference: “Tightening the net– Regional cooperation to eliminate sub-standard shipping”, Vice President Bawumia said considering the vast maritime opportunities in Africa, promotion of seaborne trade is fundamentally important to sustainable economic growth as outlined in the African Union's 2050 Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIMS 2050).

He urged member States to cooperate effectively in the compliance and enforcement of the Port State Control regime adding,

“I encourage member States to tighten their nets when carrying out Port State Control Inspections in order to ensure that all ships that call to do business at our ports are seaworthy and operate in accordance with the standards and regulations relating to maritime safety, security and marine environment pollution prevention.”
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