The government plans to cut down Rat Island and use the material to reclaim land for a major expansion of the St. John’s Port as Antigua and Barbuda seeks to increase cargo capacity and position itself as a regional transshipment hub, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said Saturday.
Browne said the project forms part of a broader strategy to address a shortage of container storage space while supporting growing cargo volumes and attracting new shipping and logistics business.
Speaking during his weekly Pointe FM programme, the prime minister said approximately nine acres of land have already been reclaimed on the northern side of the port, but additional expansion will be needed to accommodate future growth.
“Rat Island that we intend to cut down to create more land. And by so doing, we will have more space for container storage. I understand now we don’t have enough space,” Browne said.
He said the government also expects to reclaim additional land from nearby areas to support the continued expansion of the port.
According to Browne, the expanded facility will strengthen Antigua and Barbuda’s ability to handle increasing cargo traffic while supporting plans to establish the country as a regional logistics centre.
Earlier in the programme, Browne disclosed that the government is in discussions with a U.S. company that could become the principal operator of an expanded transshipment facility.
He said Antigua and Barbuda already serves as a transshipment point for cargo moving from Panama through the Dominican Republic before being distributed to other Eastern Caribbean islands, and the government wants to build on that role.
“We already have a U.S. entity that we’re speaking with about being the anchor tenant or operator for a port facility,” Browne said. “We have to expand the port.”
The prime minister said the larger port would improve access to imported goods while supporting efforts to diversify trade by strengthening links with markets in the Dominican Republic, Central America and South America.
Browne also pointed to the transformation of the St. John’s waterfront, saying areas that were once occupied by derelict barges have been redeveloped through land reclamation and new infrastructure projects, including the Global Ports cruise terminal development.
He said the continued expansion of the cargo port is intended to support Antigua and Barbuda’s long-term economic growth by increasing shipping capacity, improving logistics and creating new opportunities in regional trade.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: VIDEO: Government Plans to Cut Down Rat Island for Major Port Expansion.