The Tribune

• Gov't urged: 'Quit promising, start doing'

• Make Marsh Harbour 'well-oiled machine'

• Fears port would fail security inspection

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Government was yesterday urged to "put your money where your mouth is" and finally address Abaco's port woes, with frustrated residents asserting: "They need to quit promising and start doing."

Daphne Degregory-Miaoulis, Abaco's Chamber of Commerce president, told Tribune Business that present conditions at the Marsh Harbour port - the island's main commercial shipping gateway - are "stifling commerce" following three-and-a-half years of failure to repair the devastation inflicted by Hurricane Dorian in September 2019.

Speaking after Jobeth Coleby-Davis, minister of transport and housing, said bid documents for both the Marsh Harbour and North Abaco ports are in the final stages of being readied, she argued that "every day that passes it becomes more critical" to address the former facility's deficiencies if Abaco's import economy is to truly flourish and rebound from Dorian's impact.

Mrs Degregory-Miaoulis was backed by Roscoe Thompson, head of the Marsh Harbour/Spring City Township, who told this newspaper that the island needs the Marsh Habour port to operate as "a well-oiled machine" if it is to achieve its growth potential. With Customs and many shipping companies operating out of trailers, he added that there was still insufficient warehouse and storage space, and "major issues need to be addressed" when it comes to security.

While Mrs Coleby-Davis indicated that bidding processes to seek qualified groups to redevelop, operate and manage both the Marsh Harbour and North Abaco ports under a private-public partnership (PPP) arrangement may be just weeks away from launch, such promises were forthcoming from the Minnis administration almost two years ago, and Abaco residents appear to be running out of patience.

"It has been critical ever since Dorian three years ago," Mrs Degregory-Miaoulis said of Marsh Harbour's port, "so with every day that passes it becomes even more critical. We've heard the promises in the past. At this point, we're past talking. We want to see some action. Talk is cheap. Put your money where your mouth is and get something sorted.

"It just makes for very frustrating working conditions, and just the ease of doing business. There's nothing easy about doing business in this place. We have a government complex that only operates to noon, for the better part, and a port that is difficult to deal with. Everything is just not getting up to proper business operational standards in every aspect - the port, the airport, the Government complex......"

Mr Thompson, echoing the Chamber president's concerns, said he wanted to give Mrs Coleby-Davis and the Government "the benefit of the doubt" in hoping that the tender documents for both port PPPs will be released soon. Voicing hope that funds may be allocated to address both facilities in the upcoming 2023-2024 Budget, which is due to be unveiled at end-May, he nevertheless said: "Mouth can say anything. Actions speak louder than words.

"Until we see it, it's a lot of talk... It needs to be addressed. They need to quit promising and start doing. It's been a couple of years now, so they should have something on the drawing board. It's disheartening, the state that our port is still in. As it is right now, it does need to be addressed for Abaco's continued growth. We've outgrown what we have there now.

"It needs to be sorted out. It needs to be a well-oiled machine. Right now it's just like it was after Dorian," Mr Thompson continued of Marsh Harbour. "Customs is still operating out of the trailer down there. Most of the shipping companies are still operating out of trailers there. All the buildings have been cleaned up, but there's a lot of containers and not much for the shipping companies to store freight and things like that.

"With no warehouse space, they're having to leave containers on the dock to unload and then load back up before they move them. It would be more economical and easier if they had proper facilities. The port has a security team, but no cameras, and I don't know if they have the lighting back. There are some major issues that need to be addressed."

Mr Thompson, and other contacts spoken to by Tribune Business, voiced doubts over whether the Marsh Harbour port in its present condition would pass an International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) inspection. Failure would result in the loss of commercial shipping traffic, with vessels no longer able to sail directly to Abaco from the US. Cargos, in such a scenario, would have to be diverted to Nassau and Freeport, adding both time and cost for businesses and consumers.

"If they came in right now I don't think they'd pass," he added of an inspection. "The port is supposed to be well-lit, is supposed to have security cameras, but if you're going to the port now all you have to do is show a driver's licence and they will let you go through."

As for the economic fall-out from Marsh Harbour's present condition, Mr Thompson said: "It just makes things a little slower to get things off the dock. It causes that little additional red tape. It just makes things a little more difficult to get freight off the dock."

Mrs Coleby-Davis, in a messaged reply to Tribune Business inquiries, said the Attorney General's Office is reviewing draft tender documents for bidding processes that will seek qualified groups to redevelop, operate and manage both the Marsh Harbour and North Abaco ports under a private-public partnership (PPP) arrangement.

Pledging that the Government is "committed" to developing both facilities, she added that her ministry is continuing to plot the way forward and said: "Greater details will be shared with the people of Abaco in short order.

"Specifically, I can confirm that my ministry is in active communication with the Office of the Attorney General. They are reviewing draft Requests for Proposal (RFP) for both ports, and we are moving for a quick resolution and to have final drafts available for public review. As the minister of transport and housing, I understand the importance of the ports to the economic growth of Abaco. I will have much more to say in a few weeks."

Mr Thompson, though, reiterated previous concerns that contracting the Marsh Harbour port out to a private company would further increase the cost of goods imported into Abaco for both businesses and consumers. This is because the winning PPP bidder would levy new tariffs/fees, or increase existing ones, on shipping companies and other port users in a bid to gain a return on its significant capital investment and repay financiers.

"If it goes to a private company is going to cause everything to go up in price. It's going to make it a lot harder on our economy and people that are struggling," Mr Thompson told Tribune Business. "If it's a PPP, they have got to recoup the money somehow. We know our shipping bills are going to go up because of the tariffs and everything."

As an alternative, he questioned why the Government had seemingly "turned down" a proposal by his township, together with two non-profit groups, the One Abaco Foundation and Guy Harvey Foundation, that would have involved the construction of a new administration and Customs warehouse building for Marsh Harbour’s commercial shipping port.

This, Mr Thompson argued, would have avoided the costs and increased rates associated with a PPP. "They need to get input from the locals in the communities, and not just the shipping companies. Nassau shouldn't be dictating what Abaco needs," he said.

Mrs Degregory-Miaoulis, meanwhile, said getting the $41m Cooper's Town port fully operational was even more urgent for the economic well-being of North Abaco residents. Without it, they are forced to make a 100-mile round-trip to collect imports from Marsh Harbour, thus greatly increasing fuel costs, time and inconvenience.

"They really need that port to be operational. Just add that to your cost of operations; the fuel and the time," she said. "The designated person has to drive down, wait in line, pick up and drive back. That all cuts down on productivity. They spent a lot of our money to build it, and for it not to be operational it further retards the development potential for those in the north."