With the trials and tribulations, stresses and uncertainties of 2023 fast disappearing, only to be replaced by new issues and expectations in a new year, the moment was ripe for bringing the needs and expectations of 2024 into sharp focus.
In November, Portside Caribbean approached a randomly selected group of Caribbean maritime industry leaders, decision-makers and corporate executives.
The mission was to find out what were some of the issues and actions being regarded as priorities for 2024; and, what were the challenges anticipated at the corporate level, but also across the Caribbean region.
Three questions were posed and respondents had the option to comment on any one or all three. The thoughts and expectations of this select group are reproduced here.
Deniece M. Aiken, PhD
Attorney-at-Law, specialising in Maritime Law
What is your priority professional objective for 2024?
My foremost professional objective is advancing governance initiatives within the global maritime sector. This is in recognition of the importance of effective governance to ensure the sustainability, safety, and efficiency of maritime operations worldwide. One aspect of this objective involves actively participating in international fora; engaging with stakeholders, governmental bodies and industry leaders; and, participating in initiatives to advocate development of regulatory frameworks which foster responsible practices that promote safe and efficient shipping and environmental stewardship.
What do you regard as your greatest challenge (as a manager /leader) in 2024?
Fostering a transformative mindset among practitioners to effectively navigate the evolving landscape and tackle both emerging and persistent challenges within the maritime sector. The essence of embracing a mindset for change necessitates a shift in how individuals perceive, approach and embrace initiatives. Cultivating a mindset for change presents a unique opportunity for unparalleled growth, innovation, and sustainability. This involves steering away from conventional and limited-impact approaches, thus paving the way for the adoption of new, collaborative practices.
What would you say is the greatest challenge facing Caribbean ports and port systems in 2024?
One of the foremost challenges is the ongoing imperative for adaptation and resilience amid environmental factors and global shifts. The persistent threat of Climate Change exacerbates this challenge, manifested as rising sea levels and extreme weather events that tend to induce coastal erosion, thereby compromising the stability of port facilities.
The Caribbean is susceptible to natural disasters that impact port infrastructure; create operational disruptions, and affect the overall efficiency of the sector. Meanwhile, the economic landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, marked by shifts in global trade patterns, evolving shipping trends, and technological advancements.
Caribbean ports must navigate these changes by embracing new initiatives, including digitalisation and automation. The ability to strike a balance between economic growth and environmental responsibility presents a multifaceted challenge that Caribbean ports must confront squarely in 2024.
Andrew Astwood
Trustee, Shipping Association of Guyana
What would you say is the greatest challenge facing Caribbean ports and port systems in 2024?
Like many Caribbean ports, Guyana is at the crossroads of its development path and, as we look to 2024, one of the major challenges is building human resource capacity to respond positively to the demands of a dynamic industry that is constantly changing. Also, in our rapidly developing oil economy, Guyana’s ports will be challenged to expand a range of offshore support maritime services in pursuit of improved effectiveness of the sector.
Capt. Rawle Baddaloo
Co-Leader, Caribbean Marine Environment Protection Association
What would you say is the greatest challenge facing Caribbean ports and port systems in 2024?
I think there are two issues. The first one is, as vessels struggle to maintain the level of efficiency indices set, they may well bypass certain ports. The second and more important is the operation of the single electronic window. Everyone seems to be cooperating except some statutory bodies. We need to take a page from Guadeloupe’s book and have cargo clearances in minutes. I feel there might be an extension of the January 2024 deadline. When I attended the recent Regional Heads of Maritime Administration conference, there was a clear gap in time before most states could be ready and there didn’t seem to be a push of urgency.
Valrie Campbell
General Manager Group Operations, Kingston Wharves Ltd., Jamaica
What is your priority professional objective for 2024?
To use my current platform to help advance and accelerate the progress of Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) in Jamaica. I will increase my participation in initiatives to promote visibility and more structured coaching, mentorship and training for women in the maritime sector.
What would you say is the greatest challenge facing Caribbean ports and port systems in 2024?
Ports in the Caribbean and other Small Island Developing States will be challenged with how to chart a sustainable course in a highly uncertain and volatile environment. Amidst the uncertainties, in order to boost resilience, these ports will need to formulate strategies to achieve the optimum balance between investments in critical infrastructure, accelerated use of technological systems to improve efficiency, while implementing environmental sustainability programmes.
Rhett Chee Ping
Managing Director, Gordon Grant & Co. Ltd., Trinidad and Tobago
What is your company’s priority objective for 2024?
Our objective is to enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction by leveraging innovative technologies and transparency.
What do you regard as the company’s greatest challenge in 2024?
Our greatest challenge in 2024 will be navigating the ongoing disruptions caused by the geopolitical landscape and unpredictable market conditions.
What would you say is the greatest challenge facing Caribbean ports and port systems in 2024?
I see the greatest challenge as climate-related issues. And, with this, Caribbean ports must develop their infrastructure and disaster preparedness capabilities.
Juan Carlos Croston
Vice President, Marketing & Corporate Affairs, Manzanillo International Terminal, Panama S.A.
What is MIT’s priority objective for 2024?
Nimbleness. 2023 has been the year of the unexpected even when compared with a 2020 COVID-19 year. Climate change has impacted in so many ways, e.g., Panama Canal water issues; Amazon River draft restrictions that prevent Manaus-bound cargo getting there; lack of rain affecting West Coast of South America food harvesting; plus, recent social unrest in Panama. We have navigated these challenges and need to stay on our toes, ready for upcoming ones.
What do you regard as Panama’s greatest challenge in 2024?
Maintaining service levels. Panama will have general elections in 2024 and it will bring other social challenges (like public protests and road blockades) which create issues with labour, cargo dispatch, supply procurement and general stability.
What would you say is the greatest challenge facing Caribbean ports and port systems in 2024?
Hands down, climate change. Whether it’s weather adaptation and/or energy transition, the Caribbean region needs to continue (or start) working on these huge challenges right away; and also find the resources to pay for it.
Ethan James
CEO, Green Energy Management, Antigua
What is Green Energy Management’s priority objective for 2024?
Our priority objective is to continue expanding our relationships with Caribbean ports to address their green energy ambitions. More specifically, our aim is to partner with our Region’s ports to reduce or eliminate their carbon footprints and provide green shore power to berthed vessels, with no financial burden on ports.
What do you regard as your organization’s greatest challenge in 2024?
The intersection of port operations and green power is relatively new, so our greatest challenge is to convey our message and capabilities in clear, relatable language which can spur decision-makers to capitalise on the value we can deliver to the port community through collaboration.
What would you say is the greatest challenge facing Caribbean ports and port systems in 2024?
We perceive two significant challenges facing Caribbean ports in 2024:
• Introducing shore power to increase the air quality in port communities, especially in home porting venues.
• Forging strategic partnerships with their ocean-faring customers to maximize their respective CII ratings and maintain better compliance with MARPOL.
Denise Lyn Fatt
Managing Director, Freight Handlers Ltd., Jamaica
What is Freight Handlers Ltd.’s priority objective for 2024?
Further digitisation of our processes and continued staff training to stay on the cutting edge in the industry.
What do you regard as your greatest challenge (as a manager) in 2024?
Issues related to human resources. We acknowledge that our staff is one of our greatest assets.
What would you say is the greatest challenge facing Caribbean ports and port systems in 2024?
(1) Modernization of Customs legislation within the Caribbean; and,
(2) Connectivity in the Caribbean.
It is difficult to move Less than Container Load shipments within the Caribbean, due to the fact that there are few services available to move cargo by ocean to
other Caribbean Islands. (Seaboard Marine offers service between Kingston and Port-of-Spain; or, Kingston and Miami.) This is one of the hindrances from being able to offer a hub service to move cargo expeditiously within the Caribbean. Air service is available but not regularly for cargo.
Roland Malins-Smith
Managing Partner, Malins-Smith Associates, Florida
What would you say is the greatest challenge facing Caribbean ports and port systems in 2024?
The ports are not all in the same boat in terms of their common problems and issues. But, for many of them, securing sustained formal and informal support from government and community for their programme of digitalization will continue to be a challenge in the coming year.
Keeping pace with improvements in trade facilitation with the employment of port community systems will be a requirement of port users local and foreign. Too often local customs as well as private port users are over-protective of their data and traditional authority over the paper process.
Glenn Roach
General Secretary, Port Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC)
What is PMAC’s priority objective for 2024?
Generally, the objectives will be congruent with initiatives of our Strategic Plan including, inter alia:
• To improve and maintain port workers’ competence. (Specifically, development and implementation of the PMAC Training Platform designed to efficiently meet the varied needs of port members, as well as the regional shipping community for effective training and internationally accredited certification.)
• To establish shared informational resources to serve the needs of Caribbean ports and allied agencies. (Specifically, establishment of the PMAC Port and Logistics Data Intelligence Platform (PLDIP)
What is PMAC’s greatest challenge/obstacle in 2024?
To remain relevant, encouraging membership growth and increasing collaboration among regional ports and stakeholders; and, to attain recognition and support from regional governments and international and regional strategic partners.
What do you regard as the greatest challenge facing Caribbean ports in 2024?
A significant challenge to a number of smaller Caribbean ports is meeting the January 2024 deadline set by the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) for mandatory implementation of the Maritime Single Window.
Randolph E. Rochester
C.E.O., Stevedoring Services Limited, Bermuda
What is Stevedoring Services Limited’s priority objective for 2024?
• Ensuring compliance with the Marine Single Window legislation
• Certification of new employees in light of resignations and potential retirements.
What do you regard as the company’s greatest challenge/obstacle in 2024?
• Static container volumes, as a result of a slow economic growth.
• Political climate, with potential elections on the horizon. This could have an impact on our Terminal Operators License.
What do you regard as the greatest challenge facing Caribbean ports in 2024?
I believe competing on the global stage for goods (since we are such a small player – and so isolated in some cases) could have a negative impact on end cost to consumers.
Desmond Sears
Executive Director, Delmur Co. Inc., Guyana
What is your company’s priority objective for 2024?
Although this response is not specific to my company, there is a need for investment in Guyana’s port infrastructure; new terminals, adequate equipment, and more advanced operations. The continued improvement of port infrastructure and continuous dredging.
What do you regard as your greatest challenge as a manager in 2024?
To retain employees’ continuous training. These employees now seek greener pastures in the oil and gas sector.
What would you say is the greatest challenge facing Caribbean ports and port systems in 2024?
To diversify business in the other sectors, such as road construction. Some investment is needed in the automation systems at the terminals to allow for more efficient dispatch of cargo vessels.
Sonja Voisin
President, Shipping Association of Trinidad and Tobago (SATT)
What is the SATT’s top priority objective for 2024?
The Association is focused on regulation of our industry, implementing minimum operational and quality standards, and becoming more supportive of our stakeholders by way of continued advocacy and capacity building.
What do you regard as the organization’s greatest challenge in 2024?
At this time, our biggest challenge continues to be that of the Customs and Excise Division to which our membership report. An outdated Act, schedules, the absence of clear operational procedures and a shortage of officers continue to be our bugbear, resulting in excessive delays, increased cost to the end-user, and, as such, an inability to achieve the country’s goal of “ease of doing business”.
What would you say is the greatest challenge facing Caribbean ports and port systems in 2024?
Poor maintenance and productivity continue to be the greatest challenges. Additionally, achieving more modern processes by way of digitalisation, i.e., becoming a paperless environment.
*Editorial note: Comments were requested from an equal number of men and women.