Chief Executive Officer of the St. Vincent and The Grenadines Port Authority (SVGPA), Carl James said the authority has officially split its regulatory and operational functions, a move which marks a major step toward improved accountability and global best practice.
At a press conference on Monday, 13th October, James announced that the SVGPA will now serve solely as an independent regulator, overseeing port policy, safety, and standards, while a newly formed entity, the Modern Port Operating Company (MPOC), will take charge of daily operations.
James also outlined MPOC’s operating footprint, which will include full management of port logistics, customer services, equipment, and infrastructure.
"Having clear separation between the regulator and the operator introduces clearer accountability, it is a best practice and a model that is employed around the world and we are moving in that direction because we want to be world class and standardize with international best practices. It introduces agility for operating company, it is a model that is more attractive for investors and could have improved partnership. So, as I mention before our operating footprint would be the main deep water port, we'd have a modern cargo yard dedicated cruise and cargo facilities. The network of local ports and we also talked about the land side integration warehouse, freight processing, moving everything into the city and to our customers."
SOURCE: National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC Radio)