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Togo considers making the sea as economic growth engine

Xinhua, May 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

Togolese Prime Minister Komi Selom Klassou on Monday warned of the tough fight against maritime piracy, but said Togo, a country in the Gulf of Guinea, wishes to make the sea a driver of the national economy for a sustainable and inclusive growth.

He said this in his speech at the opening ceremony of third maritime conference of ONAEM, the national organization tasked with the Government action at the sea, on Monday in the capital Lome.

"Togo wishes legitimately to make the sea an engine of the national economy for a sustainable and inclusive growth," the prime minister said.

But he drew the attention that "maritime piracy is a sophisticated threat difficult to apprehend and to thwart in its various operational methods.

"It is undoubtedly a hindrance to peace and the stability of our countries but also an impediment to economic development and to the welfare of our populations," the prime minister explained.

According to him, the Gulf of Guinea overflows with considerable natural assets in fishery as well as in petroleum resources.

These riches make Gulf of Guinea a "geo-strategic interest area and a key hub of the international trade," he said, adding that the zone has become unfortunately over the last few years a regional prey for pirates and criminals of all kinds.

The two-day conference takes place prior to the High Council for the Sea (HCM) and the African Union summit on maritime safety and security and on development in Africa that is expected to be held on October 15 in Lome this year.

It will enable the country, Klassou said, to discuss the achievements of the second maritime conference and of the decisions from HCM last meeting held on September 18, 2015.

The prime minister also said it is to reinforce the capacities of the stakeholders of the Togolese government action at the sea and to assign them with new commitments.

He said this will result in real time information sharing between administrations and in the resolution of issues relating to fishing vessels within anchorage area and of fuel trafficking from vessels in transshipment. Endit