St Vincent’s main commercial port, located in the capital, Kingstown, cannot accommodate vessels at this time due to damage from Hurricane Beryl, which hit the island on Monday.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said on Thursday that one of the berths at the Grenadines wharf is also damaged, and there’s some compromise also at Camden Park, but it’s still functional.
“I received a report on the measures the port is taking, but we must use the cruise ship to receive vessels; the car boat, the cement boat, and other vessels will have to go down to Camden Park as directed by the Port Authority.”
“We need to exercise caution at the cruise ship berth due to the potential weight on the pier.” So you’re taking things off and moving There are new regulations in place regarding access to the Grenadines wharf. Therefore, it will only involve dropping off people; the less weight, the better”.
Gonsalves stated that what Beryl illustrates is a more modern and resilient port.
“Remember when we built it? We heard some noise; the dance couldn’t afford the light; it was too expensive a port.” I said, ‘What we have at Kingstown is 60 years old, and it’s falling apart.’ You can’t touch it anymore because we are an import-export country”.
Gonsalves said, while thanking Sir James for organizing and building the one at Camden Park, that it was not built with long-term in mind.
“I say thanks to Sir James for having organised to build the port at Campden Park, but it wasn’t built with sufficient ambition, and it wasn’t built as well as it should have been. That’s why you’re facing challenges down there. I pointed that out.”
Gonsalves said his government has a plan for relief and reconstruction.
“We are making all the contacts and arrangements in different parts of the world to see how we can get reconstruction funds, which is very important, and you will hear another discussion on that soon,” Gonsalves said.
