A Danish delegation has paid a courtesy call on the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) as part of its working visits to various state agencies within the maritime sector in Ghana.
The Delegation comprised the Danish Ambassador – Tom Norring, the Director-General of the Danish Maritime Authority – Andreas Nordseth, and a few others.
The Danish Maritime Authority and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority have reaffirmed plans of continued cooperation between the two organisations.
The Director-General of the Danish Maritime Authority, Andreas Nordseth, revealed that his outfit is hoping to cooperate with GPHA for the global green ports initiative that is intended to promote sustainable shipping.
He said: “Aside from our other arrangements of capacity-building for human resources for pilots and tugboat operators, we will begin to look into the future challenge of green ports management which we and the whole world are all trying to find our footing. We are looking forward to go hand in hand with Ghana on that.”
“I am very impressed with what you are already doing with waste management and reception facilities here. On air quality management, it is very important that we work together. Nobody in the world has really found a 100% solution. We would, together with our Danish Environmental Protection Agency, share our experiences to see how far we can grow together,” the Danish DG added.
The Director-General of GPHA, Michael Luguje, acknowledged the significance of such an initiative and affirmed the Port Authority’s support to attain the environmental goals.
The GPHA Boss expressed that: “As humans, because the environment is not something to hold, we seem to take it for granted. But as we are starting to experience the effects of ignoring challenges associated with environmental degradation, we are beginning to learn lessons. Naturally the western world is a step ahead of us in Africa, and that is why cooperative bilateral arrangements like this, and at the IMO level, are key in order to take the necessary measures to improve on our environment”.
He acknowledged the capacity-building programmes the human resource of the Port Authority has benefitted from the cooperation between the two countries over the years.
The DG of Danish Maritime Authority, on his part, also acknowledged GPHA’s role in accommodating the Danish Frigate operation, Esbern Snare, in Ghana.
