MINISTER for Infrastructure, Ports, Energy and Labour, Stephenson King recently held a meeting in Miami with a view to maintaining and upgrading the services of Saint Lucia’s air and sea ports.
During the Miami visit, Minister King met with officials of a major international shipping line and held discussions on the possibility of the cargo line making weekly calls to Port Vieux Fort.
The Minister stated that it is of importance to the government that Port Vieux Fort is no longer overlooked.
“We believe that Vieux Fort is a very strategic port, therefore we cannot allow it to be abandoned—particularly considering the social economic support that it provides to the community of Vieux Fort.
“There are about 200 workers at that port, and so we are compelled to consider attracting new partners to Port Vieux Fort. In that regard, we are negotiating with at least one shipping line, during which for two days in Miami we more or less discussed the logistics, the opportunities, the possibilities and hopefully the commitments that are likely to come if indeed our negotiations are successful.”
The Minister stated that dialogue on the venture was fruitful with top officials of the shipping line being open to making such calls.
“The intention is not just to have a port of call to Saint Lucia but to have the port as a port of transhipment for the Southern Caribbean. That should entail Saint Vincent, Dominica, Grenada, with the possibility of Trindad and Tobago and Barbados. So we are looking at those possibilities and hopefully a partnership in the development of Port Vieux Fort to prepare it and equip it for that level of activity if we are successful. So we are very early in the discussions; as we speak now SLASPA and the shipping company are in contact, putting together and exchanging information with the hope of putting an agreement together that we may sign in the future for that initiative.”
The delegation led by the Minister included Permanent Secretary, Allison Jean; General Manager of the Saint Lucia Air and Seaports Authority, Keigan Cox; and Director of the newly-formed stevedoring labour company in the south, Eldridge Stephens.
But did you consult Moosah or Kenny? Matter of fact, why didnt you bring them along for the meeting…In fact, you should have just let Kenny do the negotiations himself, since he is such a masterful negotiator eg. Roachamel/Grindbergzilla, and because he cared for the people of Vieux Fort so much that he did not ever try to revamp the port, let alone the town or the tremendous ghettos that surround it. Word to slappers the world over!