THE Shipping Association of Guyana (SAG) has identified the modernisation of Port Georgetown as a priority for 2014.The Chairman, Mr. Desmond Sears said this is in keeping with the SAG’s vision of optimising Guyana’s maritime transportation potential through the provision of effective and efficient services at ports and harbours.
He reiterated, recently, that the mission of the SAG is to contribute to the improvement of Guyana’s international trade competitiveness, by ensuring maximum utilisation of the country’s water terminals.
Sears sees this as being achieved by the establishment and operation of a public/private sector body, drawn from selected stakeholders and endowed with the requisite vision, entrepreneurship skill and resourcefulness that will sustain value, growth, learning and excellence in the delivery of port related delivery.

Concept paper
He disclosed that the strategies for the port’s modernisation were stepped up considerably in 2013, with the submission of a paper to Government entitled ’Concept paper for the improvement of the Georgetown Harbour through public/private sector partnership’.
The document had been submitted by a working group comprising ten persons, five from Government and five from the SAG.
The Government’s representatives included three from the Maritime Administration (MARAD), one from the Ministry of Trade and one from the Ministry of Finance.
They identified the main problem as the severe limitations on the draught of vessels that can now transit the Demerara Channel, due to its shallow depth and stating that this has had a negative impact on maritime commerce in Guyana, to the extent that the volume of cargo being moved per vessel call has been declining significantly.
*resulted in the inefficient movement of cargo which, when coupled with other uncontrollable factors, have caused increases in freight costs.
The deepening of the Demerara River channel for Port Georgetown continues to be a major requirement for port modernisation, Sears insisted.
According to the working group, another obvious challenge would be the need for immediate identification and subsequent establishment of a modern container terminal, preferably on the West Bank/West Coast Demerara Channel.

Ready solution
The working group had suggested that, given the constraints on the Government’s ability to raise capital, establishing a properly constituted Public/Private Operation (PPO) under the Company’s Act would provide a ready solution.
The PPO would be responsible for contracting and servicing debt, possibly from international funding agencies, as well as for implementing other activities considered necessary for the improvement of the harbour.
Sears emphasised:“Guyana must be made ready to meet the stringent demands of shippers all around the world for more modern port facilities and efficient operations.”
He stated that, when an international port is not as equipped as it should be, the inefficiencies affect not only the shippers and private berth operators, but trickle down, in higher costs, to end users of imported and exported goods.

(Clifford Stanley )