New inter-Caribbean ferry service to be implemented in 3rd quarter of 2024

…as partnership with Dubai company to see multiple cargo ships in region

The private sector-led interconnecting Caribbean Community (Caricom) ferry service Connect Caribe will be on stream by the third quarter of 2024, promising not only passenger movement but the shipment of cargo.
Connect Caribe is focused extensively on working towards a solution to the problems of maritime transportation, particularly the movement of goods and people in the southern Caribbean (in the first instance).
This first phase of the estimated US$50 million project was expected to come on stream during the last quarter of 2024 and later be expanded to new island routes in the Caribbean Sea.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Caribbean Israel Finance (CIF) and United Nations Peace Ambassador, Dr Andre Thomas announced during a press conference on Monday that significant progress has been made since the company disclosed details of the project in January, 2024.
According to the CEO, the early shift in the programme’s implementation is a result of partnerships with the Caricom Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) and Jampur Group, who have played a significant role in accelerating the maritime corridor initiative, bringing it from concept to reality.
CPSO assistance catered for the tactical and logistical aspect of the project while Jampur Group death with the acquisition of ships/vessels, which are being procured and shipped to the Caribbean.

“In the first stage of acquisition, we are acquiring more ships because our intention was to have two cruise ships and one large cargo ship, that has changed. With our partnership with Jampur Group we are going to have a lot more cargo ships, about five to seven. And so, we are looking to have significant acquisition of multiple cargo ships that will enable us to serve the region so that you have cargo going both ways,” Dr Thomas said.
Jampur Group is a shipping company in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Connect Caribe ferry service is completely separate from the ongoing work by the governments of Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) to commence a new ferry service among the three Caribbean states, however, it will complement the proposed project.
If all goes according to plans, the vessels under Connect Caribe will be dedicated to weekly and daily round trips, connecting to Barbados, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua, Suriname, and Guyana.
The vessels will have the capacity to transport about 800 to 1,000 passengers, cargo and manufactured goods and produce.
During the press conference, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Technical Director of the Caricom Private Sector Organisation, Dr Patrick Antonie explained that the services Connect Caribe will provide effort to fulfill the mandate of reducing Caricom’s Food Import bill by 25 percent by 2025.
“They have from the beginning focused on developing a successful business development proposal and certainly we’re starting to see developments that will plug in to what has been a felt need in the community in relation to the movement of goods and in all instance, we have focused on agricultural goods,” Dr Patrick Antonie explained.
Recently President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that a new company will solve the intra-regional transportation woes. Thomas said similarly, Connect Caribe is the private sector response to these challenges which involves several companies including Ramps Logistics, J&S Cruises and Tours and UPTURN FUNDS New York.
Job creation is factored into the response to the region’s shipment issues and according to Thomas and his team, there will be room for employment at warehouses and on the vessels. The first phase alone will see some 270 persons being employed.
Further, the company not only responds to the need for quick trips by sea across the Caribbean but also provides a realistic pathway for businesses to get their products across the region. (G1)