(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), if after the 1st of July, 2004 an International Ship Security Certificate has not been issued by the Director-General or endorsed for a ship as required under section 30, the Director-General may issue an Interim International Ship Security Certificate,
(a) for a period not exceeding six months, or
(b) until the Certificate required is issued.
(2) A Certificate issued under subsection (1) shall be endorsed as in the form specified in the Seventh Schedule.
(3) The Director-General may only issue an Interim International Ship Security Certificate to a Ghanaian company where
(a) the company of the Ghanaian ship has applied for the certificate,
(b) there is a ship security plan in force, provided on board the ship for purposes of implementation,
(c) the ship has not yet been duly verified in accordance with section 29,
(d) the ship security assessment required by Part A of the Code has been completed,
(e) the ship is provided with the requisite security alert system,
(f) the security officer of the company designated under section 43 (1) has made the necessary arrangements for drills, exercises and internal audits,
(g) the ship security officer and other ship's personnel meet the requirements of Part A of the Code, and
(h) the Authority reasonably believes that the ship is likely to qualify for a certificate when it is subjected to inspection for purposes of the required verification under section 29.
(4) The Director-General shall not issue an Interim International Ship Security Certificate where he or she reasonably believes that the company of the ship intends to avoid full compliance with this Act beyond the six month period specified under subsection (1) (a).
(5) Where a company assumes responsibility for the operation of a ship that the company did not previously operate, the Director-General may issue that company with an Interim International Ship Security Certificate for that ship.