The administrative complex for the Arawak Cay Port Development (APD) is on schedule and nearing completion, according to APD President and CEO, Mike Maura Jr.
Mr. Maura took government officials, as well as other stakeholders and members of the press on a tour of the new complex yesterday.
“Time is money and presently the old system is just too taxing,” he said.
“If you shipped something in, you would’ve asked your broker to go down to the shipping company’s office and collect the paper work then he would’ve gone back to his office or home and completed that paper work, then would’ve driven to customs on Thompson Boulevard to submit the entry then drive back to the dock to submit the paper work is. We all know what traffic is like in New Providence and time is money. We will be so much more efficient when we bring all those activities under one roof literally just feet away from each other.”
It is expected that the building will be completed in February of next year.
“The main features would be, a part from the one-stop show theme where we have Environmental Health, Customs, Immigration, Shipping Companies all together – we are going to have an ATM machine just for ease of transactions for customers, wi-fi connectivity, working stations for brokers and proximity to the ships,” Mr. Maura said.
“There are some training rooms so if anyone from COB wants to come in and do some research or review what we are doing here. This building is also protected so in the case of a storm, all our data would be protected. So we are looking forward to the completion of this building.”
He said having all the relevant agencies in the same building will make the shipping industry “more efficient” in the country.
Nassau Container Port is a strategically located port facility for container and general cargo shipping in the Caribbean, and beyond to North America and the world.
The 56-acre port facility is located on Arawak Cay, just two miles west of Downtown Nassau at the mouth of Nassau Harbor.
The port provides facilities for both domestic and international bulk, break bulk, container and project cargo clients. Importers can use several ocean carriers simultaneously and conduct all business at Arawak Cay.
In compliance with the standards of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code, the port features around-the-clock security guards, perimeter fencing, and surveillance cameras to ensure the highest level of security.
