Steps have been taken by the Bridgetown Port to improve the ease of doing business and carrying out trade across borders.
Minister of Maritime Affairs and Blue Economy, Kirk Humphrey revealed this as he addressed yesterday’s official opening ceremony for Cube Blue – the new home of the Administrative services departments of the Barbados Port Inc. and the future home of the Maritime Affairs and Blue Economy Ministry.
“As mid-September 2020, dwell time was reduced from eight or nine days to three days at the Port of Bridgetown. The truck turnaround time which previously hovered at about 45 minutes but climbed in the range of about 60 or 70 minutes as a result of challenges encountered with Asycuda is now down to 30 minutes and for the first time in the history of the Port, there is an established protocol of joint cargo inspections by the Ministry of Commerce, Port Health, Plant Quarantine, Customs Agencies, which further enhance the delivery of times and cargo to customers.”
He continued, “We have done a lot and we are working together now with the concept that we are indeed one government. So that one government sits down to make these decisions.”
Humphrey also stated he is very happy with the Port’s maritime single window. He explained how this now works, while noting that for everyone “this is going to be a big game changer.”
“It means that for ships coming into Barbados instead of having to repeat your information over and over, you enter it one time and you go from port to port. You are able to do business, it reduces the amount of time you spend in the port and why is that important? Because… every time a ship spends time in the port there are issues with pollution. We are hoping to reduce that so we get the ships get out a little bit faster. I also think we have to go to the point where we are able to accommodate ships that are using cleaner energy, I know we are working on that as well.”
In attendance at the event was Prime Mia Amor Mottley. In her remarks, she spoke about Government’s hope to see the Bridgetown Port be the “most recognised in the eastern and southern Caribbean.” She however said for this to happen, the Port has “a lot of catching up to do”.
“The Bridgetown Port as well is going to have to be able to modernise in terms of its physical infrastructure and I think that we have all agreed that the various projects that are here may well require a review of the structure of governance. But at all stages recognising that without partnership we can go nowhere.” (MG)