Shipping industry players have pointed an accusing finger at the Zanzibar Maritime Authority (ZMA) for haphazard registration of foreign ships through its Dubai-based agent Philitex, thus tarnishing the image of Tanzania.
The Tanzanian-registered cargo ship MV Gold Star
This comes days after a Tanzanian registered ship christened MV Gold Star was intercepted off the coast of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, with 30 tonnes of hashish, a composed form of cannabis.
The cargo ship was registered in 2011 by ZMA but its owners are said to be in the Marshall Islands. “It is because of this uncontrolled registration that Tanzanian-flagged ships have, since June this year been blacklisted in the European Union.
Our ships now undergo rigorous inspections as they are not trusted,” sources told this paper yesterday. Zanzibar opted out of the Tanzania Merchant Shipping Act of 2003 and enacted Zanzibar Maritime Transport Act of 2006 to oversee the industry.
However, stakeholders have faulted the legislation for giving room to registration of “questionable” vessels. In 2007, ZMA entered into a ten-year contract with Philitex for registration of ships through “open registry” which allows registration of foreign owned vessels.
Only last year, the Isles’ authority, through the Dubai agent, was accused of registering over 30 oil ships belonging to the government of Iran at the time that country was facing economic sanctions by the United Nations for its nuclear programmes.
“As of last year, we had registered over 400 ships but only 170 are in active operations. Others have been sold and changed registration while others have broken down and are no longer operating,” ZMA’s Director General Abdi Maalim told this newspaper on Monday.
He defended the legislation covering flagging of vessels saying the authority conducts due diligence before registering any ship. Reached for comments, Zanzibar’s Minister for Infrastructure and Communications, Mr Rashid Seif Suleiman, said the government was contemplating the possibility of terminating the contract with Philitex.
“However, since the ship was caught red handed with the drugs, its registration has been automatically revoked,” the minister said. Meanwhile, Minister for Transport Dr Harrison Mwakyembe told the ‘Daily News’ he was in contact with his counterpart in Zanzibar regarding the contract with the Dubai agent. “Authorities in Zanzibar are working around the clock to terminate the registration deal with Philitex,” Dr Mwakyembe said in a telephone interview.
However, the ZMA boss had hinted that terminating the contract with Philitex would have legal implications on the government of Zanzibar. “What I can tell you for now is that the contract will be reviewed next March, since there is a provision which stipulates that it can be reviewed five years after signing ,” Mr Maalim explained.
Established in 2009, ZMA is charged with the responsibility of monitoring, regulating and coordinating activities in the maritime industry. Italian customs officials intercepted the Gold Star following a tip off that the vessel was carrying a huge consignment of drugs and she had been followed for several days before the operation was launched.
They said the crew were Syrian and Egyptian and that before they could board the 82 metre, 38-year-old ship, they had to obtain permission from Tanzania where it was registered.
By ALVAR MWAKYUSA, Tanzania Daily News
