‘Authority needs funds’

TRANSPORT and Infrastructure Minister William Samb wants the Government to increase funding for the National Maritime Safety Authority.
He told Parliament on Wednesday that the authority received only K2 million annually.
“We seek the support of the finance minister to ensure sufficient funding for the authority to carry out its maritime safety and protection of the marine environment measures and programmes,” he said.
“Due to insufficient Government funding and the need to sustain its operations as a statutory authority, it applied to the shipping industry for the revision of the annual levies in the shipping industry.
“These levies and the fees are used by the authority to fund its maritime safety programmes and activities, and also for the maintenance, repair and up-keeping of navigational infrastructure and maritime technology.”
Samb said keeping the navigational lights floating to provide safer passage of vessels travelling into our waters and moving passengers and cargo were of critical importance.
“For these reasons, the levies and fees collected by the authority are significant for it to provide services to the stakeholders in the industry,” he said.
“The levies and fees collected are not for profit generation.”

Members of Parliament after a Parliament session on Wednesday. Minister for Transport
and Infrastructure William Samb told Parliament that the National Maritime Safety Authority
had received K2 million annually, and wanted the Government to increase funding for the authority.