The Tribune

China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) is forging ahead with scheduled preparation work on the $39 million North Abaco Port project in Coopers Town.
 “We are making sure that everything is in place so we can have a successful project,” said Felix Chang, principal of CHEC Bahamas. “Steps like making sure our work sites are fully operational are important for a development of this magnitude.”
 The 45.4-acre port facility is expected to generate dozens of jobs during construction, and create new business opportunities post-construction, in the North Abaco community.

CHEC Bahamas said more than $1.3 million has been spent on preparation work between September 2013 and June 2014 in the Abaco community.

This comes as CHEC Americas wraps up its $5 million flood mitigation work in St Mark, Grenada, allowing community residents to be better protected against flooding in the hurricane months.

Government officials and representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Grenada were all in attendance at a closing ceremony recently held to officially hand over the project, two months ahead of schedule.
 Steps enabling residents to better access a local river were laid and marked after torrential rains and mudslides caused much devastation in the form of homes destroyed and lives lost.

“You have people out there who come and talk, but talk is cheap. When you start signing documents and hiring locals, that is walking the talk, and that is what China Harbour did,” said Clarice Modeste, Grenada’s minister of health and social security and MP for St. Mark.

“Their heart is in the right place and I want to thank CHEC for believing that our Government will honour the agreements that we have discussed together.”