Funding shortage undermines maritime safety in PNG

摘要

Seven years after the sinking of the Rabaul Queen passenger ferry, Papua New Guinea's (PNG's) National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA) is still dangerously short of the funding needed to prevent future disaster. An estimated 181 people perished when the Rabaul Queen sank in 2012, according to a subsequent police investigation led by constable Ben Turi. A commission of inquiry was set up to investigate the accident and was most scathing of the authority, stating, "If the NMSA had properly conducted its duties, it's possible that Rabaul Queen would not have sunk." The commission called for a major shake-up of maritime safety in PNG. A key recommendation of the inquiry was that the government needed to provide the NMSA with adequate funding to do its job. The NMSA subsequently did receive assistance from abroad, including the Asia Development Bank, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Australia, and Japan. However, it still relies largely on self-funding to operate.