Yahoo Article - Jamaica aims to revive economy with port hub

[Xavier]

Yahoo has writing an article on the port hub in Jamaica. The article seems to cover all the views including those who believe it will affect the environment. What is interesting is the comments after the article...many seem to believe the USA should be doing this and not China who they believe is trying to colonize countries. What do you think? China or the US or none?

See the article here.

[Blackstar*]

Ports nowadays don't require as much manpower as they used to. Just look at Baltimore where up until the 1970s the Inner Harbour used to provide plenty work. Automation and such has put an end to all of that.

Jamaica needs to invest in her people first, i.e. education and health, then high value-added industries that have no to little impact on the environment. Then kick the bauxite companies out and get them to take their waste with them back to Canada.

[RichD]

Long road to logistics fourth node for Jamaica

Published: Thursday | February 20, 2014 0 Comments


In this January 25, 2014 photo, a fishing boat rests on a sandy beach of uninhabited Little Goat Island, Jamaica. A trans-shipment port is to be developed by state-run China Harbour Engineering Co on the uninhabited Goat Islands in a swathe of the island's biggest protected area. AP




As Jamaica pushes to become the fourth node among global [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]logistics [COLOR=blue !important]hubs[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR], it has considerable distance to cover before it can be ranked anywhere near logistics leader Singapore.
Jamaica's logistics capabilities are currently ranked close to the bottom of a list of 155 countries, according to a recent World Bank report.
The 2012 Logistics Performance Index (LPI) puts Jamaica at 124 between Fiji and Algeria on a list which puts Singapore first and landlocked Burundi last.
Jamaica's logistics capabilities rank below several land-locked countries, such as Zimbabwe, Bolivia, Paraguay.
Its ranking is better than at least three countries in the region, including Guyana (133), Cuba (144) and Haiti (153).
Due to rounding, Jamaica appears to have the same score as Fiji at 2.42, though placed one spot behind in the rankings.
At the Jamaica Logistics Hub symposium in Kingston last month, World Bank representative in Jamaica, Giorgio Valentini, said that "Being on the bottom of the totem pole is not really an issue anymore," and that "it is very easy to move up the ranking."
The conference estimated that Jamaica may need investments of up to US$15 billion to realise its dream of being ranked alongside Singapore, Dubai and Rotterdam as centrepoints of world trade.
Some countries have improved their scores relatively quickly. That was the case for Morocco. Its LPI rank jumped from 113 in 2007 to 50 in 2012, "having implemented a comprehensive strategy to improve logistics and connectivity and take advantage of the country's proximity to Europe", according to the report.
Despite that, the report says "Logistics performance does not improve overnight."
Like Morocco, several other countries, such as Malaysia (29) and Panama (61), are trying to position themselves as major logistics hubs.
The LPI report also speaks to the rising importance of green solutions - which could have implications for the proposed development of the Goat Islands and the larger Portland Bight area.
The Goat Islands is proposed for development into a [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]port [COLOR=blue !important]facility[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] by China.
"Environmental sustainability concerns are emerging as a market driver," the report states. "Developing countries will need to consider the environmental footprint of logistics, especially in trading with developed countries."
Jamaica's logistics ranking has fluctuated quite widely over time between its highest ranking of 94 and its lowest of 140.
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[RichD]

Ports nowadays don't require as much manpower as they used to. Just look at Baltimore where up until the 1970s the Inner Harbour used to provide plenty work. Automation and such has put an end to all of that.

Jamaica needs to invest in her people first, i.e. education and health, then high value-added industries that have no to little impact on the environment. Then kick the bauxite companies out and get them to take their waste with them back to Canada.

Alumina industry in Jamaica nearly dead now. Canada pulled out long time ...Russians own 3 of the 4 plants (at least 2 if not all three are currently mothballed) the only operating facility is the Clearendon based Joint Jamaica/Alcoa plant.

Kaiser still mining and exporting ore from discovery bay

[Xavier]

Ports nowadays don't require as much manpower as they used to. Just look at Baltimore where up until the 1970s the Inner Harbour used to provide plenty work. Automation and such has put an end to all of that.

Jamaica needs to invest in her people first, i.e. education and health, then high value-added industries that have no to little impact on the environment. Then kick the bauxite companies out and get them to take their waste with them back to Canada.

Agree, that we need to invest in people first. This is what will sustain a person (nation) when there are changes like automation. Education allows you plan and adapt to change. As they say you can't take an education away...

[Wahalla]

Yahoo has writing an article on the port hub in Jamaica. The article seems to cover all the views including those who believe it will affect the environment. What is interesting is the comments after the article...many seem to believe the USA should be doing this and not China who they believe is trying to colonize countries. What do you think? China or the US or none?

See the article here.

over the years i have used logistics hubs in singapore, antwerp ,Rotterdam, houston / galveston, Aberdeen..Malta, panama, Hong Kong....it is not simply breaking up cargos and redistributing them.. there are a hell of a lot more services that add on value, engineering, Marine architecture, enviromental serivecesfrieght forwarding, breaking, testing services, Victualing, legal services, auditing of operations, welding, easy banking services, opening a local limited company, warehousing, security, verification, compliance, alot of the value comes from the add on services..The canal zone has a lot of these services currently available..... But i like Rotterdam... all u need is a few phone call...

I was involved in one project in a nameless country where I went into the harbour area on a tour with the general manager who wanted to convince me to plan a logistic base that would add prestige and i was a arrested by a policeman who was solisting a bribe....

My point is that alot of times cargos need alot of verification and or manufacture / blending... can Jamaica provide the infrastructure of this services in a timely manner..professional manner that is time sensitive ? My experience of goods out of Kilsome harbour is less than pleasant, high costs, kafka esque bureaucracy.......and in my projects i need reliable services and clear costs....

The point i am making is that Panama is building a hub as well as expanding the canal, Nicaragua is planning a canal that will have a hub ? what diefentiator can Jamaica provide that would attract me to make use of their serives... it strikes me that i may as well use Galveston in the Gulf which would have all of these serives at a high price.....regular established shipping from Rotterdam and onto Africa or Panama with great shipping connections with less sophisticated services...

Educating people is not all, you need very specific and at time esoteric skills coupled with flexible work paterns ethics and experience...


Jamaicans have amazing people who when trained can compete with any one..... But can we compete at the moment ? Does the goverment have the will to commit to a policy that will take decades to make a return... that will require change from weath distribution to one of wealth and value creation.... We have a prime minister who loves poor people. she never said she love working people or wealth creation...We are a system that favours patronage over competency...

We have two rival possibilities for this service can we compete,, against the one we can compete, but the canal zone ??????

But then i work for people who are risk averse and want not to mess with the timeings of the projects..as these are cost sensitive
then wahalla is not too smart....