The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Port Authority (SVGPA), after placing second in 2015 and 2016, has captured the 2017 title of the Most Improved Port among the sixteen member Ports of the Port Management Association of the Caribbean.
The award was presented at the just concluded 21st Annual General Meeting of the Port Management Association of the Caribbean, held in Dunn’s River, Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
The Nova Port Cup award, as it is known, was awarded to the SVG Port Authority for improvements based on comparative cargo volumes, operational efficiency, standards and best practices over the previous year’s performance.
Chief Executive Officer of the SVGPA, Bishen John, noted that achieving the award is the result of the combined efforts of a dedicated staff, coupled with effective Corporate Government from the Minister of Air and Sea Ports Development and the Council of the SVG Port Authority.
Mr. John said it is indeed an honour for him to have led the Port Authority to this great achievement at a time when significant investment is being undertaken in port development and training and development of staff members.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the SVG Port Authority, Clayton Burgin, emphasized the importance for Managers to appreciate the work done by the general staff and to have a continued focus on training and personal development, as he collected the trophy on behalf of the workers.
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Port Authority has been focused on improving the organisation’s internal culture, the internal atmosphere at the workplace and the efficiency with which it operates.
To date various policy changes have been made and the Port Authority is in the final stages of the development of a Terminal Operation System (TOS) that would see seamless transfer of information between the SVGPA and the Customs and Excise Department.
This TOS would bring further efficiency to the clearance of cargo as well as aid in the collection of current data for proper decision making.
