Tri-nation ferry: ‘Sooner rather than later’, Govt still examining deal

A regional tri-nation ferry service involving Barbados is still a way off, despite Trinidad and Tobago’s announcement it would assign a ship to the service and upbeat pronouncements from the heads of government in the twin-island republic and Guyana.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Kerrie Symmonds said Thursday that civil servants were still examining a deal to link the three neighbours by sea.

But he said he hoped the service would start sooner rather than later.

“Barbados is at present at the stage where our technical officials are assessing the [Memorandum of Understanding] prior to any policy recommendations that may be made,” Symmonds told Barbados TODAY.

“The proposal to initiate the regional ferry service is all about finding a way of deepening our regional cooperation in order to secure access to fresh produce, and commercial products for our communities in this area of CARICOM. It is a direct response to the challenges our people have been experiencing with regard to the escalating cost of living and to the challenges we as regional governments have long faced with regard to food security and high food import costs.”

He explained that one of the key reasons behind the introduction of the ferry service was for Barbados and its regional partners to effectively use marine transport as a means of creating new and sustainable jobs.

“[It’s also effectively] creating access to less expensive goods for our populations, especially agricultural products, and improving the connectivity between our countries in the southern Caribbean,” the minister declared.

“I fervently hope that this long-desired initiative will be operationalised in the shortest possible time and that it will serve as an example to our regional private sector to also now step up to facilitate the further development and expansion of maritime transport and diversification of connectivity in this region.”

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr Keith Rawley said on Wednesday that with the three governments having agreed to the service, he would be allowing his country’s vessel, the Galleons Passage, to be used to ply the Georgetown-Port of Spain-Bridgetown route, at least initially.

“(On Thursday), the Cabinet will sign off on this decision, and only this morning, the Minister of Transportation was told to ready the Galleons Passage for the inaugural trip as soon as that documentation is ready and the vessel is ready,” Rowley said at the opening of the Phoenix Park Industrial Estate in Point Lisas.

Days before, Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago would introduce a passenger and cargo regional ferry system.

Solving intra-regional transport woes has been a huge focus of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for years now. The current revitalised focus on guaranteeing the region’s food security has added impetus to the ferry drive.

Prime Minister Rowley said the decision to introduce the new ferry service was “driven by the need to move raw materials and fresh produce from the producing areas to the consumption and manufacturing areas” within the tri-nation CARICOM subzone.

He also noted that such a venture would help to boost regional food security efforts by stimulating food production and trade across the region.

Guyana’s President Ali also suggested that the venture would support job creation and allow consumers to enjoy more affordable food prices.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb