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The redevelopment work at the country’s main seaport has been completed.
This is according to Port Manager Darwin Telemaque who made the revelation on state media yesterday.
“Yesterday, I received instructions from my Chairman Senator Mary Claire Hurst who received instructions from the Prime Minister Gaston Browne who advised that it was okay for us to go ahead and sign the document, and yesterday I signed off the completion of works document with the Chinese, who were very anxious to get that as they have been here longer than expected, longer than they planned due to the pandemic.
“We did it, and this is just the first part of the actual celebration of its completion which is the signing of the documents, and the planning begins for a real grand event to celebrate not just the completion, but the actual opening of the new development, the newest port in the Caribbean.
![front 1 port 1](https://antiguaobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/front-1-port-1-461x1024.jpg)
This is welcomed news for many as the US$90 million redevelopment project has been delayed for several years with the biggest issue being the Covid-19 pandemic.
In January 2018, the Antigua and Barbuda government awarded a US$90 million contract to the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to construct a cargo port and cruise ship harbour.
A few months later, work began on the Deep Water Harbor port, and years later the port now boasts a new cruise berth, as well as cargo and logistics facilities and other amenities.
Offices were also built to house the Customs and Excise Division, Plant Protection Unit, Immigration and other services that customers accessing the port would generally have to journey to St John’s for, and then return to the Deep Water Harbour.
Telemaque mentioned that with this completion, the hope is to have the port become one of, if not the top, seaport in the region.
He revealed efforts are already being made on their end to increase service and attract more business partners at the port.
![front 1 port 2](https://antiguaobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/front-1-port-2.jpg)
“We are going to work very aggressively to attract the players that can bring more business to Antigua, specifically to the Antigua Port Authority. Tropical is one such customer that we are lobbying and working hard with them. The prime minister is also working aggressively to assist us as well, and has approved some support for us to get a brand-new crane.
“We also at the port have made some advancement towards that also. The excitement now is that we have a brand-new gift and now is the time to open the box and make the gift actually work, and that means getting the digitalisation right, getting the staffing right, getting the equipment right, putting it all together and make something beautiful happen for Antigua and Barbuda, and even the region” he added.
A major ceremony will be held to commemorate the occasion. An official date for that event has not yet been finalised. (OBSERVERNEWSCO)
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Chinese Submarines other naval vessels will fit nicely in there.
That’s underneath the port in the secret naval bunker that also houses the Chinese arsenal
And when the Antiguan government misses a payment be ready to kiss your sovereignty goodbye.
I just can’t understand how anybody could be dull-witted enough to be involved with an evil communist dictatorship like china.
The UPP borrows money to spend on recurring expenditures like salaries, social programs and other giveaways.
The ABLP borrows money to finance Capital projects. Such as the Port expansion and in the end there is somrthing tangible one can see.
Which is a better policy?
@ From The Sideline
FYI: this port development was a UPP initiative started/conceptualised under the former administration.
NO NOT ONE THING THE ABLP HAS DONE WHICH WAS NOT A CONTINUATION OF PLANS PUT IN PLACE BY THE UPP.
Great so every project the ABLP executes is an UPP plan. It shows that the UPP only had plans but lacked execution. So let them stay in the planning stage, while the ABLP continues in the execution stage.
@From The Sideline
Great, and when the global economy gets worse likely next year and payments to communist china are missed, china will own Antigua and own you.
Sounds like a great deal to me…
@Sidelines: As an insider and a sidekick of Gaston Stache Browne.Could tell us all,what that one loan for $540 million dollars were used for? Where else is Stache going to borrow monies from? Is he still going to borrow Antigua and Barbuda out of debt?After all he did say so,his darn words.
there is two ways to conquer and enslave a country.
one is by the sword and the other is by debt.
$150M of taxpayers money went down the drain due to the wadadli power plant deal.
what is the next deal?
what is the external debt of little Antigua today?.. enslavement of the future generations.
@ debt traps
YOU GUYS JUST LIE LIE LIE AND LIE WITH IMPUNITY.
IS IT NOT THE SAME POWER PLANT THAT APUA/WIOC took control of?
GASTON HAS BORROWED 5 TIMES THE AMOUNT OF THE IMF LOAN THAT UPP HAD NEGOTIATED, AND AT CIRCA 10 TIMES THE INTEREST RATE, but the minions do not see anything wrong with what their ‘god’ did.
ANTIGUA IS BURSTING WITH DEBT UNDER THE FIRST 28 YEARS OF THE ABLP AND NOW A FURTHER 9 YEARS UNDER THE GBLP.
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