The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has said that it has plans to make available life jackets to commercial boat and canoe operators, operating along the inland waterways to purchase at subsidized fees.
The move, according to the Director-General of the GMA, Dr Kamal-Deen Ali, is part of efforts to enhance passenger safety on the Volta Lake amidst increasing cases of boat accidents that continue to claim lives.
“We’ve a key partnership with the community to work to ensure safety and one of the initiatives also, is to make life jackets available at reasonable cost below the cost at which they would have otherwise bought it in the market,” he said.
He stressed that, “…in that partnership, they can purchase enough lifejackets for the passengers they carry and that will help ensure safety and security and protect the livelihoods of Ghanaians.
Dr Kamal-Deen Ali made this known during a working visit to Kpando Torkor in the Volta region on November 4, 2025.
The team from the Ghana Maritime Authority included Board Members led by the Board Chair, Jamilat Jawula Mahamah.
At Kpando Torkor, the team engaged with fisherfolks, boat operators, community leaders and key stakeholders involved in water transport and fishing on the Volta Lake.
The board also inspected office installations and logistics the Ghana Maritime Authority has deployed to Kpando Torkor including a search and rescue boat, ‘Martey Korle’ which was deployed to the landing beach in September this year.
Dr Kamal-Deen assured that the presence of officials of the GMA at the various landing beaches will ensure that boat operators in these communities comply with the standard and safety protocols required for their operations.
