A number of maritime provinces have expressed interest in owning and operating vessels as the Government considers the possibility of a state-owned shipping service in the future.
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Ro Filipe Tuisawau made the comments amid ongoing concerns in the shipping industry, including issues raised by operators Goundar Shipping and Interlink Shipping over regulatory requirements, crew shortages and other industry challenges.
The two shipping operators have warned they may suspend services at the end of this month if their concerns remain unresolved.
Ro Filipe said provinces including Cakaudrove, Bua, Macuata, Ba, Lomaiviti and Lau had shown interest in becoming more involved in shipping services.
“There has been a desire or interest expressed by the maritime provinces,” he said.
“Some of them already own ships or entities within them, so it’s something that is a possible option moving into the future.”
Ro Filipe said the concerns raised by the shipping operators were largely regulatory matters being handled by the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF).
“The shipping operators’ issues, these are regulatory issues, regulatory complaints.
“In terms of dry docking, the requirement for maintenance, these are MSAF regulatory issues, which they are implementing and monitoring and also liaising with the shipping operators.”
Ro Filipe said Government could consider operating its own shipping service in the future if disruptions continue to occur.
He said the possibility of a larger state-backed operation remained an option moving forward.
“In the past, there was a government shipping service, which was a state-owned enterprise, but that is an option which is also something we can consider moving forward.”
Goundar Shipping resumed services last Wednesday, however, it warned it could be suspended again this week if the company’s concerns were not addressed.
