OECS AND PMAC SIGN MOU
TO STRENGTHEN P O R T O P E R AT I O N S IN THE CARIBBEAN The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission and the Port Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the PMAC’s 19th Annual General Meeting held recently. The move is a joint effort to strategically address matters pertaining to the efficiency of port management and operations in the Caribbean. The OECS Commission, through its recently established OECS Port Management Committee, said it has been working closely with PMAC “to develop an OECS strategy and action plan which will help to improve port infrastructural capabilities, safety and security, transportation logistics, skills and competencies of port personnel, and trade facilitation within the OECS Economic Union.” The Chairman of the OECS Port Management Committee and the PMAC said, “a collaborative approach towards achieving shared goals and objectives should lead to greater results with lesser efforts and fewer scarce resources being expended.”
OECS Director General Dr Didacus Jules declared the OECS Commission’s unwavering support towards facilitating meaningful engagements between the OECS Port Management Committee and the PMAC in order to address port management and operational issues associated with goods and people moving in and out of the region: “The time is right for both parties to solidify their relationship in an efficient, predictable and transparent manner,” he said. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Vance Amory, Premier of Nevis, and Dr Fritz Pinnock, the Executive Director of the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) who has been working closely with the OECS and the PMAC to develop this functional cooperation arrangement. The OECS Port Management Committee and the PMAC have already initiated this joint cooperation in areas geared toward enhancing the capacity and competitiveness of Caribbean Ports to the benefit of governments, traders and consumers within the OECS Economic Union and wider Caribbean. •
Additionally, both parties have pledged their commitment to establishing a feasible and sustainable mechanism for institutional strengthening, infrastructural development and port productivity.
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Sep /Nov
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