Boost Needed For Maritime Sector

Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, Stuart Young, is urging the local maritime industry to prepare for an increase in demand for its services, as the development of the hydrocarbon sector in Guyana and Suriname picks up. He says construction of Guyana's first heavy-lift berth is already ongoing and similar infrastructure works are being planned in Suriname. Based on this, Mr. Young says the human resource needed for these services also needs to be developed in CARICOM. He says this, coupled with a global demand in the maritime sector, is why more training and recruitment exercises need to be on the agenda. Minister Young says this region, including Latin America, is responsible for 10% of globally loaded goods, but that volume of traffic is under-represented with respect to personnel employed in the maritime sector. Meanwhile he adds that Government is also intent on developing the sector as a hub for ship repairs, among other activities. Mr. Young was speaking during a Maritime Webinar hosted by the University of Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday.