All dressed up, nowhere to go?

Anthony Aboud, president,  Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturing Association (TTMA) is all for   TT’s bid to host the FTAA Secretariat — but he does not want to see the $1.2 billion Port-of-Spain waterfront complex become a white elephant. A situation of “being all dressed up but with nowhere to go” must never arise, he said of the project. Last week, demolition works began on structures at the old Cruise Ship Complex on Wrightson Road to make way for the  preparation of the FTAA building complex.

But the relocation of the landmark Breakfast Shed remains one of the contentious issues affecting the waterfront project. Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis said everything will be done to ensure that the vendors have the proper facilities to conduct their trade, wherever they are relocated. Vendors said they will continue to work at the Shed. The Urban Development Company of TT (UdeCott) is overseeing the construction of the complex, which was initially expected to house  the Mariott hotel, a national centre for the performing arts, an Association of Caribbean States office tower, a shopping complex and possibly the FTAA Secretariat.

However the Marriot has since constructed a hotel near the MovieTowne Complex at Invaders Bay. Approximately 1,500 construction and 1,200 permanent jobs are expected to be created by this project. The complex is also expected to generate $100 million in annual visitor expenditure, boost the image and economic activity in Port-of-Spain and be a premium destination for approximately 26,000 corporate and leisure travellers annually.

Business leader, union boss sound off...

Balance port and waterfront complex

When it comes to the port, both men  want the same thing, TTMA President Anthony  Aboud and SWWTU (Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union) president-general Michael Annisette both believe that construction of the waterfront complex must be balanced off by parallel development of port facilities in Port-of-Spain. Aboud said he had met with Port Authority officials early this week and was assured that the complex’s construction would not affect overall operations at the port. Still, there are problems.

Aboud noted thought he port continues to have “a real estate problem” and businessmen continue to face congestion, and as a result, rising  charges and increased freight costs. Aboud noted that a 20-foot container now costs about US$700 more than what it used to a few months ago. He said one of the causes of this was the economic demand in China which was pulling ships from the Caribbean towards the Far East. Port Authority of TT chairman Noel Garcia said the cruise ship complex had been shifted to Shed Four and other operations from Sheds One and Two, which have been turned over to UdeCott, have been moved to the western end of the port.

He also said the complex’s construction will not impact on the port’s operations. Garcia indicated that the port is currently developing 7.5 hectares of land in Invaders Bay for its expansion and insisted that this had nothing to do with TT’s lobby for the FTAA Secretariat. Annisette said that his union had no problem with the FTAA Secretariat being housed at the port but warned that there must be parallel development of Port-of-Spain’s port facilities —  or the construction of the proposed waterfront complex will be “a nightmare.”

The SWWTU leader said his union has long advocated that there is limited land space at the Port-of-Spain port, noting that he was happy Government had agreed to allocate more lands for port expansion. He suggested sheds Nine and Ten on the port should be used for containerised operations and other activities should be relocated to lands being developed at Invaders Bay in order to improve overall efficiency at the port. Annisette added that his union would not support any initiative which would impact negatively on the port’s operations and its workers.