KINGSTON, Jamaica — Dredging of the Kingston Harbour, as part of the Government’s Global Logistics Hub development, is awaiting selection of an approved bidder who will then manage operations at the Kingston Container Terminal (KCT).

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ), Professor Gordon Shirley, made the disclosure at the opening of a two-day symposium on the Jamaica Logistics Hub Initiative, at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, on Tuesday, January 21.

“The Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued to three pre-qualified bidders who are important global terminal operators – Singapore Port Authority, Dubai Port World, and CMA-CGM in a partnership with a number of other entities, including China Merchant Marine. We expect the process to be completed well within 2014,” he added.

Addressing the topic: ‘Building out the Physical Infrastructure’, Shirley pointed out that precursory engineering work for the dredging has been completed.

“The Port Authority contemplates doing this (dredging) in two phases – one is to optimise the existing design limit of the berths that are there now, by taking it down to a draft of 14.2 metres, and then at a later date extending it to 15.5 metres,” he said.

Professor Shirley said that the timing of the dredging will depend, to a great extent, on completion of negotiations for KCT’s privatisation, which will see the successful bidder entering into a 30-year concession with the PAJ to manage and operate the terminal.

The terminal is owned by the PAJ and operated by KCT Services Limited. It is one of the region’s leading container transshipment ports.

Privatisation of the facility and dredging of the harbour are being pursued as the Government seeks to position Jamaica to become the fourth node in the global logistics chain, and take advantage of increased maritime activity, consequent on the opening of the expanded Panama Canal in 2015.