Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers Launched In Ghana

THE GHANA chapter of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS), London was officially launched at a grand ceremony at the La Beach Hotel in Accra over the weekend.

Karl Ludwig-Franz, Chairman of ICS, who launched the branch, said ICS is the only internationally-recognised professional body, representing shipbrokers, ship managers and agents throughout the world.

“With 24 branches in key shipping areas, 3,500 individuals and 120 company members, ICS membership represents a commitment to maintaining the highest professional standards across the shipping industry,” Mr Ludwig Franz indicated.

Founded in 1911, ICS was presented with Royal Charter in 1920 and a Supplemental Charter in 1984 to encourage international membership.

ICS operates its own distance learning programme, TutorShip, and runs a variety of courses targeted at new entrants and people who are already in the industry and want to gain more specialized knowledge.

Currently, there are 16 distance learning centers that are managed by ICS around the world, offering TutorShip courses.

“As a professional body, our members enjoy many benefits and opportunities, which enhance their career in the shipping industry,” the chairman assured.

“I would like to promote the value of professional qualifications of the shipping industry internationally and to demonstrate the value of employing qualified members and fellows of ICS.”

He said he plans to achieve a target by strengthening communications with the shipping community in local areas, while fostering the sense of internationalism in the shipping industry.

“The institute is first and foremost a professional body and although its head office is based in London, ICS has a truly international perspective that in turn reflects the very international dimension of shipping,” he emphasized.

He therefore implored stakeholders in Ghana's new oil production sector to always seek the services of chartered shipbrokers in order to make their operations easier and safe.

Samuel Edmund, Country Manager of Oil & Marine Agencies (OMA), in a speech, noted that ICS had come to complement efforts by both government and the private sector to inject sanity and professionalism into activities of shipbrokers since the country will soon be producing oil commercially.

“For those who want to further their knowledge of the shipping industry but are not quite ready to embark on a full qualification, ICS offers either foundation or advanced diploma and this consist of introduction to shipping or shipping business plus another paper.

“Examinations are held annually in April at centres across the world and prizes, which are generously donated by companies, are awarded to the most successful candidates each year at the ICS prize-giving lunch in London,” Mr Ludwig Franz emphasized.

ICS has distance learning through its TutorShip courses.

Each course is written by an expert with extensive experience in shipping and supported by a personal tutor who is well versed in industry practice.

There are also webinars and web-based seminar/tutorials preceding the April exams.

The Professional Qualification Examination (PQE) syllabus entails the introduction to shipping, legal principles in shipping business, economics of sea transport and international trade as well as shipping business.

Without exemptions, the above-mentioned courses must be studied in the first year.

The second year comprises dry cargo chartering, ship operations and management, tanker chartering, ship sale and purchase, liner trades, port agency, logistics and multi-modal transport.

Others include port and terminal management as well as offshore services.

By Samuel Boadi