Haiti looks to private sector to help its ports like this one, with no cranes or water depth at Jacmel.
With the maritime world anxiously awaiting the completion of the expansion of the Panama Canal, Haiti wants its private sector to begin thinking about investing in the development of its ports, none of which will ever be capable of hosting a Panamax vessel without millions for dredging and millions more to build suitable berths to support suitable cranes, costing millions more.
Alix Celestin, head of the National Port Authority, will lead a two-day seminar Monday and Tuesday at the Royal Oasis hotel in Petionville on port development in Haiti in hopes of encouraging the business community to assist Haiti in developing a maritime economy, the Miami Herald reported recently.
It reported "Observers have long argued that any long-term improvement in Haiti’s economy depends on both repairing and reforming its underused port system, which has been a pocket of corruption and cronyism. Haiti is a principal trading partner through the terminals and operators along the Miami River.
Celestin told the Heald the current government’s strategy calls for investing in rural ports, while encouraging investors to develop private ports, including those that could help Haiti compete for business from the expanded canal.
According to a recent Miami Herald report, "Haiti currently has 13 seaports."
Port-au-Prince with a depth of 12 feet, no permanent berths or cranes is the major port for tramp freighters calling Haiti, mostly from the Port of the Miami River.
Already several ports in the region, as well as Miami’s port, are positioning themselves to better handle the large cargo ships that will cross the expanded Panama Canal, the Herald reported. Haiti is still trying to reconstruct its Port-au-Prince seaport, which was severely damaged in the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake.
"About $70 million worth of improvements are to begin shortly, Celestin told the Miami Herald.
According to the Herald, Among those scheduled to attend the conference are Miami-Dade County port officials and Commissioner Jean Monestime. Miami-Dade has agreed to provide Haiti with technical assistance on improving its port system in both Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/09/3553276/haiti-looks-to-private-sector.html#storylink=cpy
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