EXECUTIVES of the Shipping Association of Guyana (SAG) are preparing to attend, at mid-month, a key networking conference that is being coordinated by the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA).

The venue is the Grand Lucayan Beach and Golf Resort on Grand Bahama Island, Freeport, The Bahamas and those attending from here are SAG Chairman, Mr. Desmond Sears and Vice-Chairman, Mr. Julian Archer.
Shipping executives from Europe and North America will join their counterparts from the Caribbean and Latin America for three days of discussion and presentations from May 13 to 15.
The CSA said representatives of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) are also expected to be present.
The topics for discussion cover a wide range of issues and trends in the maritime sector, but high on the agenda will be international trade, corruption and the readiness of marine pilots for the highly anticipated opening of the reconstructed state-of-the-art Panama Canal.
Some focus will be placed on the massive carrier vessels originating from Asia, North America and Europe that will utilise the Canal to service regional ports.
Alternative energy and the economics of cargo by sea will also be addressed as an issue of importance to ship owners and shipping lines.
In addition, advances in marine port technology and the implications for productivity and staffing will be examined under the topic ‘Automated Terminals’.
The CSA stated that several presentations will highlight modern trends and future technological developments for marine terminals.
Cruise ships
For those ports capable of receiving cruise ships, the presentation and discussion on ‘The Economic Impact on Cruise’ will give helpful insights into the current state and immediate future of the regional industry.
A special segment has also been reserved to examine the contributions and potential of national shipping associations such as the SAG for facilitating economic growth and it will be themed ‘Toward National Associations which are Robust, Credible & Impactful’.
It would highlight the business models and best practices employed by some national associations in the region that have been particularly successful over a number of years.
That discussion, the CSA said, will, eventually, engender a working group responsible for ensuring that member associations have access to the resources and information needed to bring about improvements locally.
“While the Caribbean Shipping Association’s (CSA) regional presence remains strong, we are cognisant of the relevance and need for national shipping associations to represent their interests with stakeholders in local and international fora,” a representative of the regional shipping oversight body stated.
The statement said: “A major objective of the CSA is the enhancement of shipping industry representation at the local level (and) we aim to do all within our power to develop national associations which are robust, credible and impactful.”