[www.inewsguyana.com] – The shipping industry appears to be experiencing difficulties, according to Chairman of the Private/Public Trade Dialogue in Guyana, Christopher Fernandes.
As a result, Fernandes made an urgent plea for government to find a new location for the Georgetown port. He told a gathering at Cara Lodge on Monday, September 16 that there are severe restrictions at the current Georgetown Port location as the channel is “silting up” and the port can only accommodate vessels with a measurement of 7.3 meters.
“This has to be dealt with. The Shipping Association is lobbying for a need to look for the location of a new Georgetown Port, because the present situation, the city is encroached so much on the port we have now, that there is no room for expansion,” Fernandes said.
He explained that in the last five years, the containerized trade industry has only increased by 18 percent. Fernandes was at the time addressing officials and participants at the World Trade Organization five day workshop on Trade Facilitation National Self Assessment of Needs and Priorities.
According to Fernandes, while Guyana is trying to get efficiency of trade facilitation, a new location should be secured as soon as possible.
