Business View Caribbean April 2023

58 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 10, ISSUE 4 TCIPA’s focus on staff well-being and education played a crucial role in ensuring the success of its operations during the pandemic. Jones shared, “We brought medical doctors to talk to shipping stakeholders about the need for protection and vaccination.” Although some staff members contracted COVID-19, Jones confirmed no fatalities, and the organization managed the situation well. With its clear mandate of facilitating trade and ensuring the region’s marine industry’s growth, the TCIPA has embarked on an ambitious infrastructure development plan, investing approximately $60 million into upgrading its main port facility in Providenciales. Williams shares that the organization is at the beginning stages of this massive project, which will significantly enhance the port’s capabilities and efficiency. “In the past three years, TCIPA has focused on developing smaller ports, including refurbishments in Grand Turk and South Caicos, and the completion of the North Caicos port,” he says. “Now, the attention has shifted to Providenciales, the main port in the archipelago.” “One notable development is the construction of a new staff building, which will accommodate TCIPA’s personnel and other agencies. Groundbreaking on this facility took place in late 2022.” A vital element of the upgrade plan is to expand the port’s docking capacity. Currently, the port can manage only one ship at a time. However, adding two new docking areas will enable the simultaneous offloading of three boats. Additional dredging, new lighting, and a designated Recognizing the importance of environmental protection, TCIPA will implement a safe water drainage system. The Providenciales port has not seen any significant upgrades since its inception. This new development project aims to transform the facility, ensuring its viability for 15 to 20 years. In addition to the significant infrastructure