NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Energy and Transport Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis announced in Parliament on Wednesday that a Bahamian company has been selected to restore the Marsh Harbour Port.
During her mid-year budget communication, Coleby-Davis stated, “We understand the significance of the Marsh Harbour Port to the island—its residents and businesses. I can advise that a Bahamian company was selected by our U.S. counterparts to restore the transshipment port.”
She further elaborated, “The upgrades to the port will include enhanced lighting, stormwater drainage, the construction of an administrative and security building, CCTV installation, backup generator connections, power supply to new buildings, paving, and the installation of a suitable perimeter fence. I expect to provide a more concrete update before the end of April.”
Concerns have been mounting about the future of Abaco’s two commercial shipping ports, with many fearing that unresolved issues could have a “crippling” effect on the island’s economy. The lack of repairs and improvements to the Marsh Harbour port since Hurricane Dorian devastated the area has raised concerns about its potential non-compliance with international shipping regulations.
The operating conditions at Marsh Harbour, the island’s primary port of entry, have been dire since Hurricane Dorian struck nearly five years ago, with little to no updates on the Request for Proposals (RFP) process or its outcome.
Even before Hurricane Dorian, the Marsh Harbour port struggled to meet international shipping regulations. In fact, the government-owned port failed its International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) “mock” inspection on June 18, 2019. This led to immediate corrective actions to ensure it passed the subsequent “actual” assessment. However, ongoing concerns remain that failure to address post-Dorian damage could result in Marsh Harbour failing its next ISPS inspection, which evaluates whether a commercial port complies with global security standards introduced after the September 11 attacks.
Failure to meet ISPS standards would prevent U.S. cargo vessels from directly delivering goods to Abaco. There is growing concern that the lack of urgency in addressing the port’s deficiencies could have severe economic consequences, driving up shipping costs and placing a heavy burden on consumers.
In addition to the Marsh Harbour port RFP, the government has also initiated a bidding process for the Cooper’s Town facility in North Abaco, which was constructed for $41 million by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC). However, little information has been made available regarding this process.
One industry source, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed frustration with the lack of transparency in the process, stating: “I heard it was a company out of Freeport, but I have no clue who it is. It’s really disappointing that it has taken so long for something to be done, and the process has been so covert and non-transparent. I only hope that whoever was chosen was able to save the Bahamian taxpayer money, as the APD proposal cost the Bahamian taxpayer nothing.”
Dion Bethell, APD’s President and Chief Financial Officer, told Eyewitness News that the company had not received any official notification about who was awarded the contract for the Marsh Harbour Port. “As far as we are aware, APD was not awarded the initial RFP, and when it was reissued, we did not respond because our proposal was the same,” Bethell noted.
