Minister of the Sea says that the Government is looking for ships to buy and guarantee connections between islands
The Minister of the Sea, Abraão Vicente, said today that a technical team is in the market looking for ships to buy, in order to guarantee frequent maritime connections between the islands.
The Minister of the Sea, Abraão Vicente, said today that a technical team is in the market looking for ships to buy, in order to guarantee frequent maritime connections between the islands.
“Plan B is already underway. We, at this moment, already have a technical team in the market looking for ships to buy, a minimum of three and a maximum of four ships, to guarantee that the island of Brava is always connected to the island of Fogo and Santiago, another one to guarantee that the Port of Maio actually has a ship that makes the daily connection Maio/Santiago and two other ships in principle to make the main line”, he said.
The official who was speaking to the press, on the sidelines of the port conferences held by Enapor – Portos de Cabo Verde, which takes place today and Friday, in Cidade da Praia, explained that he will meet today with the deputy prime minister and technical assistance from Cape Verde to analyze all the articles of the new concession contract to be signed with Cabo Verde Interilhas.
The idea, according to Abraão Vicente, is to consolidate this agreement and ensure that in the next two months there is a normalization of maritime transport between the islands.
The minister added that, through the security fund, the two ships, Kriola and Liberdadi, will be taken to the dock to put them in optimal sailing conditions.
“When I talk about plan B, it's not just acquiring new ships, but having the guarantee that, if plan B needs to come into operation immediately, we will have ships to fulfill the designated lines and we are working hard to have a solution that doesn't only with Cabo Verde Interilhas, but for the maritime transport system”, he maintained.
According to him, the Government's effort has been, and is, to make the company itself understand that the State should not depend on third parties to have maritime connections.
“Once again I say here what I already said in Parliament: the Government recognizes the deficiency and some serious shortcomings that have existed in maritime transport in Cape Verde and it is in this sense that we will try to find a definitive solution that will undoubtedly start with a greater participation of the State in the management of the lines”, he added.
Last Friday, March 10, in the first parliamentary session of the month, the Minister of the Sea announced that the Government would sign, this week, the new concession contract with Cabo Verde Interilhas, in which he guaranteed that the agreement would establish a new operating model with a minimum level of public service.
