Barbados Port Inc (BPI) will begin construction of a new Administration Building in January 2019.
The new four-storey building estimated at a cost of $20 million, should be completed over the next 15 months.
The new facility will also house the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony hosted on December 14, 2018 to signal the start of construction, Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy, Kirk Humphrey, said approximately 200 persons will be employed at different stages during the construction period. He said some workers retrenched under the Barbados Economic Recovery Transformation Programme could be hired for the project.
The Minister gave the assurance that all efforts were being made to follow proper procedures during the building process and to ensure that timelines were kept, through a period of constant reporting.
Addressing other aspects of BPI’s operations, the Minister spoke to the need to separate cruise and cargo. Noting, “The bulk of our business here now is actually cargo” he said at the same time “a lot of people pass through and a significant number walk through the Port”. As such, he said Barbados must be fit for purpose.
“It means that we must have a cargo industry that is efficient, that is effective and that we can turn over cargo as quickly as possible. We also want to improve what we offer as our cruise product so that we would have a first class cruise building and product. We want to be a hub so that people will choose Barbados as a natural destination,” he stated.
Minister Humphrey also noted that efforts were under way to improve surveillance equipment and to acquire more advanced scanners to ensure the Port had the capacity to secure the island’s borders and its people.
BPI Chairman, Senator Lisa Cummins, explained that the new building comes out of a joint venture partnership formed between Caribbean Consultants Ltd (CCL) and the Barbados Port Inc.’s Defined Benefit Pension Plan (BPIDBPP).
Ms. Cummins added that early in the new year, BPI’s management would seek to explore a new model for the organization that would include cargo, cruise and property development.
“We are going to be talking about creating a vertical integration model for the Barbados Port. We want to be able to transform the Port and all of its operations into a key logistics hub for the entire southern region of the Caribbean. We want to partner more with our private sector colleagues,” she said.
The Senator further noted that discussions would also be held in relation to cruise terminals and marine facilities and how they needed to be expanded, particularly in the Shallow Draught.
However, she stressed that those discussions would also seek to outline what the public/private sector partnership should look like, and the details surrounding such to ensure that the best interest of the Government, the Port and the people of Barbados was protected.
Tourism Minister, Kerrie Symmonds, said Government is keen to pursue talks with Carnival Corporation on getting Barbadians trained for employment in top positions of the cruise industry.
Minister Symmonds, speaking as he welcomed the Carnival Breeze on its inaugural visit to the Port of Bridgetown on Tuesday, said this was one of the main areas of cooperation discussed with Carnival Cruise Line executives, when they visited Barbados recently.
Symmonds, said the partnership with Carnival, the dominant player in cruise tourism globally, would present an opportunity to invest in the human resource development of Barbados.
“We now want to get Barbadians to take an interest in the professional side of maritime matters, so that we would be able to train ships’ captains and engineers to position them to find employment in the cruise industry,” he said.
The Minister said his mission is to see Barbados elevated to the top of the tourism sector globally. That, he added, means evaluating where we are now and how we can do better. One of the main areas for consideration he noted, was the build out of the island’s attractions. To this end, he said Government will be working with international singing sensation, Rihanna. Expansion of the island’s homeporting activity is also on the agenda.
The Carnival Breeze sailed into Barbados with 1 700 crew and 3 700 passengers. As is customary to mark the inaugural visit of a ship, Captain Rocco Lubrano exchanged commemorative plaques with Minister Symmonds and Chief Executive Officer of Barbados Port Inc, Mr. David Jean-Marie.
The Minister expressed a desire to see the Carnival Breeze sail into Barbados more often
The ship will return to Barbados on another two-week cruise in November.
The Norwegian Escape made its inaugural visit to the Port of Bridgetown on December 15, 2018.
Sailing in with 4 424 passengers and 1728 crew on board, Captain Niklas Persson said he was delighted to be in Barbados.
To mark the occasion, traditional plaques were exchanged between Barbados Port Inc.’s (BPI) Divisional Manager Corporate Development & Strategy, Captain Karl Branch and Captain Persson.
Joining the BPI delegation to officially welcome the Norwegian Escape were representatives of Foster & Ince Cruises led by Managing Director Mr. Martin Ince Platinum Port Agency, led by Managing Director, Kevyn Yearwood and Chairman of Barbados’ Cruise Development Commission, Mr. Errol Humphrey.
The three-year-old vessel, boasting 17 decks, is one of the tallest cruise ships in operation and is the most innovative ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet. Among its extraordinary features are the largest aqua park at sea, the largest thermal suite spa at sea and the first Snow Room, where temperatures range from a frosty 21 degrees to 32 degrees Fahrenheit and a flurry of powdery snow is released throughout the day.
The Norwegian Escape, is currently on a 12-day, round-trip Southern Caribbean cruise which originated from New York.
The MSC Preziosa made its inaugural visit to the Port of Bridgetown on December 4, 2018.
With 3 200 passengers on board, Captain Corrado Laconis said he was delighted to bring yet another ship from the world’s largest privately held cruise company to Barbados.
To mark the occasion, plaques were exchanged between Barbados Port Inc.’s Manager of Terminal Operations, Ian Stewart and Captain Laconis.
Welcoming the Captain, crew and passengers also were Honorary Consul for Italy in Barbados, Paola Baldi-Lussan and Managing Director of Platinum Port Agency Inc., Kevyn Yearwood.
The MSC Preziosa was launched in 2013 and built by STX France at a cost of US$550 million. The vessel, is scheduled to make 11 calls to Barbados this season with air sea transfers every two weeks. It is anticipated the turnover will be 400-500 passengers per call. Some 300 UK visitors flew into Barbados to join the ship yesterday for the continuation of the cruise.
The vessel, which also homeports at Fort-de-France, Martinique will also embark guests from there as well as at Pointe A Pitre, Guadeloupe.
The Port of Bridgetown copped the highly coveted Multi-Purpose Port of the Year Award 2018, emerging the big winner from among 12 competing Ports across the Caribbean and Latin America.
The announcement was made during the banquet and awards closing ceremony of the just concluded 2018 Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) 48th annual general meeting and conference, held in Panama City, October 8-10, 2018.
Chief Executive Officer of Barbados Port Inc. (BPI), Mr. David Jean-Marie said, “The award is a fitting testimony to the progress we have made in 2017 in enhancing our performance and productivity, the expansion of our transshipment business and the implementation of energy efficiency initiatives”.
Mr. Jean-Marie added that the Barbados Workers’ Union’s support in pushing for the certification of port workers and the maintenance of industrial peace, were also major contributing factors to the enhanced performance.
Noting, “We certainly couldn’t have done it without the workers and management team”, the CEO said, “This award will better position us relative to our competitors in the development of transshipment and cruise business”.
Winning in the Multi-Purpose Port category confirms outstanding performance in dependability and flexibility, port efficiency and productivity, port growth and development, security, health, environment and safety. Barbados’ biggest competitors this year were Kingston Wharves Limited, Jamaica; Port of Paramaribo, Suriname; Fort-de-France, Martinique and Grand Port Maritime de la Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe.
Each year, the CSA’s Port Awards Committee compares the performance of participating ports to determine who stands above the rest. The CSA assesses the improvement, performance and security of the ports and terminals and as such, any port in the Caribbean stands a chance of winning either the top prize, or any of the sectional prizes, once its management systems are up to standard and its corporate functionality is progressive. At the end of the process, the CSA announces those ports and terminals that have achieved high standards of operational performance.
The CSA’s Port Awards Competition aims to promote the development and increased efficiency of port operations. It has served as a driving force for regional ports and terminal operators, encouraging and stimulating the development of best practices through the recognition of the outstanding performance of ports in key areas.
The new Board of Directors of Barbados Port Inc. (BPI) has been announced.
Senator Lisa Cummins, International Trade Specialist and Executive Director of The UWI Consulting Company is the Chairman and Dennis Cadogan, Deputy Chairman of Equity Insurance is the Deputy Chairman.
The other directors appointed to serve on the Board are: Capt. George Fergusson, retired Captain of Barbados Port Inc., Lisa Gale (Lisa Gale Consulting International Trade and Business Consultant), Iain Thomson (Maco Magazine), Ricardo McConney (Nation Publishing Co. Ltd.), Janice Brown (Attorney-at-Law, Fig Tree Family Office Ltd.), Reynold Grant (Retiree), Esworth Reid (Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and The Blue Economy), Sir Roy Trotman (Barbados Workers’ Union) and David Jean-Marie (Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer BPI).
The BPI, the hub of Barbados’ trade and logistics infrastructure, will be key to delivering on the goal of advancing new sectors and industries in the Blue Economy, including maritime trade.
The appointments were effective July 1, 2018.
Last year Deono James shared with us his intentions and aspirations. Since then Deono has accomplished much in his quest to become a professional in the body fitness arena.
Making this dream a reality takes vision and effort. To this end, Deono in working towards professional accreditation, is very appreciative of the support he has received from Barbados Port Inc. where he is employed, as well as the help offered by others. He has been focused on eating right and training right, adjusting his diet and training regimen based on insight gained at the competitions he participated in recently.
October 21, 2017 saw Deono taking third place out of nine competitors in the Men’s Physique segment of the Ben Weider Legacy Cup held in Toronto, Canada. The competitors hailed from Bermuda, Curacao, Canada and the United States. Deono was a member of the contingent selected to represent Barbados at the 45th Caribbean and Central American (CAC) games scheduled to be held in Mexico City. Unfortunately, a series of major earthquakes occurred in Mexico City around the time for that competition and it was cancelled. April 20th – 22nd this year found Deono in Sao Paulo, Brazil for the Arnold Classic, where he advanced to the semi-finals and was among the top 15 in the Men’s Physique. This competition for him, drove home that he needed to do more work.
Deono explained that while each show had different judging criteria, the South American shows in particular look for more leanness, muscle definition and dryness. As such, he believes he needed to train more, adjust his diet a bit and put more effort into his cardio routines. For him, the Arnold Classic was a much more significant competition, not only in terms of the number of competitors but also concerning its international standing. The Arnold Classic is ranked just below Mr. Olympia, the number one show for body builders.
And it seems his efforts have paid handsomely. Right here in Barbados on Saturday May 12, 2018, Deono took first place in the tall class for the Men’s Physique in the Mr. and Mrs. Bridgetown show.
There is a marked improvement in his physique, in his confidence and in his posing, and he boasts a sense of maturity, given his experiences in the last year. Deono continues to press forward, training regularly at BPI’s gym, Portside Fitness Center and working with the coaches assigned to him.
Classified as an amateur still, his pursuit for professional status continues. The future demands travelling farther afield since Barbados falls under the International Federation of Body Building and Fitness (IFBB) and its competitions are held in Europe, Africa and as far as Australia. Deono’s next major competition will be the Barbados National Competition scheduled for June 30, 2018 and once again, he hopes to be selected to be a member of the Barbados team for the CAC games. We wish him well.
Being staged within weeks of the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the Caribbean Shipping Executives’ Conference (CSEC) got underway at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina this morning with a strong focus on disaster resilience and world trade. In his opening address, David Jean-Marie, President of the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA), noted that Day 3 of the Conference, being staged from May 14-16, is dedicated to a disaster awareness workshop for the over 200 participants to learn from past experiences and help prepare for the future.
The CSA president thanked members of the association for their support for the region’s recovery efforts after the disastrous hurricanes of 2017. Approximately US$100,000 has been donated by members to several important causes. The conference’s Disaster Awareness Workshop will include panelists from the Organization of American States and the US Coast Guard.
Turning to world trade, the CSA president told participants that the impacts of tariffs and the threat of “trade wars” will be discussed in their meetings, along with Maersk and IBM’s game-changing commercialization of block-chain technology.
Jean-Marie also revealed that a workshop exploring the important issue of gender equality is planned for the CSA’s Annual General Meeting in Panama this year. He said that this issue will be discussed within the context of Caribbean cultures, and in close collaboration with the Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean, with the aim of developing policies to govern the actions and behaviors of all industry participants. The CSA president stated, “We will be pro-active in ending sexual harassment and in promoting and nurturing a culture of gender equality in our maritime industry.”
The president also called on governments in the Caribbean to ratify maritime conventions such as MARPOL, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, and the SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) which is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships.
A highlight of the opening ceremony was the presentation of a citation to Cephas “Oxley” Quammie, a stalwart of Caribbean shipping, who gave over 40 years of sterling service to the development of regional shipping. Participants at the opening ceremony also paused for a moment of silence in tribute to the life of the late Hon. Noel Hylton who was instrumental in the formation of the CSA.
Caribbean-US Ports Collaboration
Participants in CSEC 2018 were welcomed to Fort Lauderdale by Dale Holness, Commissioner, Broward County, Florida who revealed that Port Everglades is the leading container port in Florida and tenth largest in the United States with its proximity to the Caribbean being the key component to this success.
The Broward County Commissioner stated that nearly a quarter of the containerized cargo that moves through Port Everglades is destined for or from the Caribbean and that this port does more cargo business with the Caribbean than any other seaport on the eastern Atlantic.
About the CSA Conference
The Caribbean Shipping Executives’ Conference is the first of two conferences hosted by the CSA annually. The CSA is the voice of the Caribbean shipping Industry and was established in 1971 to facilitate the development of an efficient, viable Caribbean Shipping Industry. Conferences hosted by the CSA provide a forum in which matters relevant to the growth and development of Caribbean shipping are discussed.
The impact of new technologies, critical developments in world trade and innovative methods of cooperation are major items of discussion by shipping industry professionals of the Caribbean Shipping Executives Conference (CSEC) now underway at the Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina in Florida, USA. The conference is being presented by the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) from May 14-16, 2018 to provide a valuable forum for participants to gather useful and current information on various aspects of shipping.
The Maersk/IBM Blockchain Initiative was the first topic under discussion by the more than 200 participants in the Conference. Gordon Foote, Business Development Executive, IBM, predicted that “what the internet did for communication, Blockchain will do for trusted transactions”. He said that the Blockchain Initiative provides a more transparent, secure way to conduct business through networks of trusted data. Shipping industry executives are welcoming this new technology which intends to assist shippers, ports, customs offices, banks and other stakeholders in global supply chains to track freight more efficiently and replace costly, time-consuming paperwork with tamper-resistant digital records.
Conference participants also received useful information on Ports and The International Trade Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean from Ricardo Sanchez, Principal Economist, Ports & Infrastructure, UN – ECLAC. Sanchez noted that the positive growth projected for the Caribbean by the IMF is a major indicator of the potential for growth in regional shipping as “consuming power leads to shipping demand”.
Sanchez pointed out that, since the first major maritime alliance of 1995, there has been a continuous process of mergers, acquisitions and alliances by shipping lines accompanied by accelerated growth in vessel size. He said that these developments are placing great pressure on infrastructure as ports seek to win market share. In this regard, he cautioned against over-investment in port infrastructure as only the primary hubs were experiencing significant growth. He re-iterated that “cargo follows consumption, not infrastructure”.
The topic entitled, Raising Standards in the Shipping Agency World, was of particular interest to shipping agents attending the conference as Albert Hoek, Executive Director, Multiport Ship Agency Network spoke on his organization’s role in promoting cooperation between its member ship agents. He revealed that the benefits offered to member agents of the Multiport Network included sharing business intelligence and introductions to potential shipping companies.
David Jean-Marie, president of CSA, describes this 17th staging of the CSEC as “a resounding success. The topics and presentations are of great relevance to regional shipping interests and participants are expressing their appreciation for the usefulness of the information being shared”.
About
The Caribbean Shipping Executives’ Conference is the first of two conferences hosted by the CSA annually. The CSA is the voice of the Caribbean shipping industry and was established in 1971 to facilitate the development of an efficient, viable Caribbean Shipping Industry. Conferences hosted by the CSA provide a forum in which matters relevant to the growth and development of Caribbean shipping are discussed.
Barbados Port Inc. (BPI) continued its program of environmental sustainability and stakeholder support with the donation of freighting pallets to the Rural Development Commission on Friday.
The donation is in keeping with BPI’s mission to have an accessible port with a strategic corporate social responsibility focus. The pallets will be used in the Barbados Sustainability Recovery Program, which focuses on reducing the food bill at rural homes and sustainable, healthy lifestyles.
Public relations officer at the Rural Development Commission, Wendy Burke said she was thankful to BPI for understanding the scope and importance of the project, and coming to the assistance of the Commission.
“We are going to offer the individuals in our project a cost-effective method of planting. These pallets are for persons who do not have land space to plant; individuals can build the pallet structure, pour soil into it and grow various herbs and vegetables.” Also, Burke noted that the project is expected to contribute to the national good by reducing the food import bill.
Captain Karl Branch, Divisional Manager, Corporate Development, and Strategy, handed over the pallets on behalf of BPI and expressed his delight that they were to serve a worthwhile, environmentally-friendly purpose.
“These pallets are largely a bi-product of our container unstuffing operation, and as such the inspection, selection and sorting of suitable and clean pallets are the result of the collective effort of the port’s Terminal Operations family.”
He further added, “The Commission’s objective to develop the sustainability of the Barbadian family is an added incentive for us. The Port family regards the effort associated with this activity as our civic duty to support the Commission’s innovative national cause.”
It is planned that repurposing of pallets will become a routine exercise as part of the BPI’s sustainability initiatives.
