THE 33RD Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) involving more than 200 local and foreign delegates, got under way in Montego Bay yesterday, setting the stage for discussion of pertinent regional and international issues affecting regional maritime trade.
The three-day conference is being staged under the theme: "Providing a Medium for Economic Development and Increased Competitiveness", and the Shipping Association of Jamaica a founding member of the CSA is the official host.
Transport and Works Minister, Robert Pickersgill officially declared the conference open. In his remarks, the Minister underscored the significance of the meeting and emphasised government's commitment to supporting the growth and development of the local maritime industry. To this end, he cited a thrust to improve infrastructure and boost security, among other initiatives.
TOPICS ADDRESSED
Topics addressed at yesterday's sessions involving shipping agents and private stevedores companies as well as ship and port operators included Non-vessel Operating Common Carriers (NVOCCs) and the Ocean Shipping Reform Act and the Advantages of Multi-User Facilities vs Dedicated Facilities. Today's sessions will review security matters and investment in the region.
The CSA conference, which also features a business exposition Shipping Insight 2004 is the largest single event on the regional shipping industry calendar and it attracts delegates, observers and speakers from nearly all English, Spanish, French and Dutch Caribbean territories, as well as South, Central and North America and Europe. The conference ends tomorrow.
The CSA Secretariat is based in Kingston, Jamaica at the Shipping Association of Jamaica Office Complex, 4 Fourth Avenue, Newport West. Further information can be obtained from the CSA website www.caribbeanshipping.org or send emails to csa@cwjamaica.com.
