Calls for resignation of PNG Maritime Authority head
Updated
Papua New Guinea's Opposition party wants the chairman of the country's Maritime Safety Authority to resign over a possible conflict of interest after two vessels owned by his company sank.
Presenter: Firmin Nanol
Speaker: PNG Deputy Opposition Leader, Bart Philemon
- Listen:
- Windows Media
NANOL: The call follows concerns by maritime officials over a possible conflict of interest over the sinking, of two vessels owned by the chairman of PNG's Maritime Safety Authority, Hamish Sharp.
The authority is responsible for safety checks on all sea going vessels.
Hamish Sharp owns Bismark Maritime Shipping.
One of his ships MV San Pedro sank last month with over 80 containers of cargo on board.
It was his second ship to sink … the passenger vessel MV Sealark sank in April 2006 in the PNG port of Lae.
PNG's Deputy Opposition Leader Bart Philemon says Hamish Sharp should resign.
PHILEMON: Conflict of interest is not up to the two vessels that sunk, but conflict of interest was there before he was appointed. This bears out the fact that the government has not followed the due process of fit and proper person test, and now that this serious incident has occurred the government has no choice but to seriously have a look at the appointment and take the right decision in removing this man and putting in somebody more credible, because at the end of the day it's a reflection on our safety issues involving shipping operators and credibility on ships that operate in our coastal ships.
NANOL: He says PNG's reputation in the shipping industry is at stake when ships - owned by the maritime safety authority chairman- supposedly certified as seaworthy - sink.
PHILEMON: We should be concerned internationally about our credibility in terms of safety standards.
And I believe that this now raises a serious question now, this company has to be under the focus of the investigation of the transport department, and the transport department have now to question seriously the safety standards of this particular company. It has to be a public investigation in which anybody that needs to participate in this should feel quite freely to participate in providing information and so forth. So it has to be a public investigation.
NANOL: The Opposition has also called on the government to do an investigation and make the findings public.
PNG's Transport minister Don Polye has ordered an investigation into the sinking of the two vessels.
The National Maritime Safety Authority says it is investigating the incident.
