January 2019 Business View Caribbean

28 29 COMPLEMENTING YOUR EVERY MOVE AIR & SEA PORTS AUTHORITY St. Lucia AT A GLANCE ST. LUCIA AIR & SEA PORTS AUTHORITY WHAT: Authority responsible for St. Lucia’s airports, seaports, and smaller points of entry WHERE: Headquartered in Castries, St. Lucia WEBSITE: www.slaspa.com E stablished by an Act of Parliament in 1983, the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA) is responsible for running the island’s two principal seaports, Castries and Vieux Fort, and the George F.L. Charles and Hewanorra International Airports, as well as the smaller points of entry: Soufriere, Marigot, and Rodney Bay Marina. Its mission is a noble one: to maximize air and sea-borne traffic and related services through safe and ef- ficient operations performed by a highly motivated work force contributing to the sustainable, social, and economic development of St. Lucia. O perating from modern headquarters in Castries, SLASPA was created out of the merger of the St. Lucia Ports Authority with the Airports Division of the Ministry of Communications and Works. This merger has created a unique position for the island by providing avenues to generate initiatives for maximizing the assets held in its name and to offer value-added services to its clientele. Business View Caribbean recently spoke with Daren Cenac, Acting GM/CEO/Chief Engineer of the St. Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority about the evolution of SLASPA and its vital role in the strength and growth of St. Lucia. The following is an edited transcript of that conversation. Castries Cruise Port