Castries, Saint Lucia — December 10, 2024 —Further to the agreement to hold a meeting to take stock of the progress made on improving operations at the Castries Sea Port after discussions and agreements arrived at when the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture and the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA) met on November 7th,the agreed Stock taking meeting was held on December 9th, 2024, at 2:30 PM.
The St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce as part of its engagement strategy has continued to work with members and the public sector agencies whom they interact with to find solutions to challenges confronted. This engagement with SLASPA is part of a longstanding and ongoing process.
SLASPA provided an update on the progress made to implement initatives that would enhance ongoing port operations improvement initiatives as discussed at the previous meeting. The Monday meeting was attended by SLASPA’s leadership team, port stakeholders, representatives from customs and some thirty Chamber members focused on the critical actions aimed at improving efficiency, expanding service offerings, and addressing operational challenges.
Progress and Future Plans
SLASPA highlighted key advancements in its initiatives to improve port operations. The work to reopen Shed 7 work was described as 99%complete. Yet this matter of Shed 7 not yet being open remained a critical element meant that would positively impact speed of destuffing and delivery of non-commercial cargo. It was intimated by SLASPA that the Shed was expected to be open during the current week.
SLASPA also reported that the development of an automated destuffing application process was 50% complete, with plans for full implementation to commence by January 2025. SLASPA also advised that extended operating hours up to 11:00pm for normal container deliveries have been successfully introduced, addressing the growing demand for flexible service hours.
SLASPA is also working on the development of a portal toallow business owners to request delivery services online, this was tostreamline business operations.
SLASPA also spoke to several challenges they were facing includingtraffic congestion at the port and general lack of space, thus SLASPA hasrestricted access to the port to prevent or minimize potential hazards. It wassuggested that SLASPA coordinate with the Royal St. Lucia Police Force tostrengthen the enforcement of their restrictions.
The team also discussed delays in the movement of goods,particularly during peak periods, and the impact these delays have onbusinesses. SLASPA emphasized the need for collaboration with stakeholders,including the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, to further discuss potentialimprovements to cargo delivery processes.
Next Steps and Action Items
The meeting outlined several key next steps for SLASPA:
In response to concerns about the slow movement of goods at the Ports, the Chamber of Commerce has agreed to seek to convene a meeting, early in 2025 with merchants, Customs, the Port Authority, and other related agencies to discuss improvements in port operations and the role they all can play in that endeavor.
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