According to a performance audit carried out by the Auditor-General. The inland water transport sector in Ghana has serious safety problems and regulatory shortcomings.
The report, which runs from 2019 to 2023, emphasizes the regularity of incidents on Ghana’s waterways that cause serious property and human casualties.
In all, 23 watercrafts made up of fishing and transport crafts were involved in accidents that claimed 34 lives and properties worth millions of cedis during the period.
Despite spending GH¢94.77 million over the past four years on inland waterway safety measures, the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) continues to face these incidents.
The latest performance audit report on the safety of inland water transport on Volta Lake in 2024 revealed these findings.
The report also attributed the ongoing safety and regulatory issues on the country’s waterways to the GMA’s failure to actively monitor and address the challenges.
Inland Water Transport
Inland water transport (IWT) moves people and goods using watercraft like pontoons, river ferries, boats, and canoes on rivers, lakes, and canals.
It makes up roughly five percent of Ghana’s transport system and serves as a vital mode of transportation for communities on islands and along major water bodies.
