The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has recommended that the Ministry of Transport be transparent in its investigations of serious boating incidents and that the lack of technical staff has impacted its ability to monitor and enforce shipping regulations.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Annual Review 2022-2023 And Other Reviews Report has called on the Ministry of Transport to “increase transparency by ensuring that investigations into serious boating incidents are thorough”.

According to the PAC, the Ministry was dealing with a legal suit related to an incident on a local boat and was also addressing a recent and similar incident where a crew member fell overboard and is still unaccounted for.

In July this year, the Ministry was investigating the case of a 22-year-old Fijian crew member of the cargo vessel Lady Moana who fell overboard during a return voyage from Mangaia.

Secretary for Transport, John Hosking had earlier emphasised that all accidents occurring on vessels within Cook Islands waters were taken seriously. Hosking explained that their investigation focused on the safety of the inter-island cargo vessel and its operation and the findings would be shared in due course.

In January this year, the Ministry was tight-lipped about an investigation into a Taio Shipping vessel fire from early November 2023, which damaged some cargo destined for the northern group islands.

The vessel caught fire en route to Penrhyn in early November last year, resulting in a loss of $90,000 worth of goods. The ship was also destined for Rakahanga and Manihiki.

It was reported that the Ministry conducted an investigation but referred the newspaper to Taio Shipping Ltd, which referred all queries back to the Ministry.

In 2019, the Ministry also investigated the disappearance of seven-year-old Lapana Tupou from the MV Lady Moana owned by Taio Shipping.

The PAC advised the Ministry to also publish findings and improvements to show accountability and commitment to safety and compliance.

According to the PAC report, Transport secretary Hosking, the director for corporate services Mii Rongo and director for maritime Patricia Tuara met with the Committee.

The PAC also stated that the Ministry’s performance report included minimal reference to the outputs of the business plan and this made it difficult for them to assess how their performance aligned with their objectives and targets.

“This lack of detailed linkage hinders a clear evaluation of progress and effectiveness in achieving the strategic goals set forth in the business plan.”

The Ministry highlighted staffing issues, but PAC stated there were no concrete plans outlined for addressing this staffing challenge.

“This lack of a clear strategy undermines efforts to resolve staffing problems and improve overall operational efficiency,” the report said.

“It is a concern that the Ministry lacks expert technical staff and again no plans to avoid it.”

The Ministry has been further advised to hire more skilled technical staff and offer training to enforce shipping regulations as well as prepare and submit their financial statement for the year ending June 30, 2023 in a timely manner.