The head of Papua New Guinea's National Maritime Safety Authority concedes that some ship owners are still overloading passenger vessels in PNG waters because the deterrents are not strong enough.
A Commission of Inquiry into the Rabaul Queen ferry disaster which claimed at least 162 lives off the coast of Morobe province in February last year, found the ship was overloaded.
It also viewed the agency as having not fulfilled its obligations and called for the Merchant Shipping Act to be reviewed.
The Authority's CEO Chris Rupen says currently ship owners can be served a fine or prison term for exceeding passenger limits but says that still doesn't dissuade some owners.
"Because the ship owner would prefer just to pay the fine and get away with it. Let me say that a lot of ship owners in this country are responsible people I think it's only one or two that would like to cut corners."
Chris Rupen says the first draft of the revised Merchant Shipping Act has been completed, which will give the agency more power.
He says employing enough ship inspectors to monitor safety standards on passenger ships is also an issue.
