Minister for Transport, Ro Filipe Tuisawau says it is stupid to expect the Minister to be controlling an operator's personal conduct daily however he stresses a vessel holding up other vessels from berthing at Ellington Jetty yesterday is a serious incident.
Ro Filipe says this is being fully investigated, and action will be taken to ensure it is not repeated.
The Minister says it is a schedule dispute where operators were in conflict and this was managed by MSAF.
Ro Filipe says the operators must adhere to MSAF's approved scheduling.
He says MSAF is investigating as per their mandate and will also tighten their operations at jetties.
The Minister adds the Opposition should not politicize such issues.
Opposition MP, Viam Pillay says what happened at Ellington Jetty yesterday is a clinical study in ministerial impotence.
Pillay says while a private vessel hijacked a public wharf for 26 hours, passengers from Nabouwalu were left stranded at sea because the Ministry and MSAF have effectively abandoned their legal mandate.
He says Under the Maritime Transport Act 2013, the State is the sole authority responsible for the safe and efficient flow of maritime traffic.
Pillay says this is not a "scheduling conflict" — it is a total abdication of State power.
He adds by allowing a private operator to dictate when it feels like moving while families wait offshore, the Ministry has signaled that the law is merely a suggestion.
Pillay says both the Police and MSAF in Rakiraki were alerted, yet they stood by as spectators while the maritime system became a private playground.
