Fogo: Entrepreneurs demand urgent solutions for maritime transport and suggest the introduction of the Praia d'Aguada ship

Businessmen and traders say that the maritime transport sector has been deteriorating over the last six months, causing shortages of building materials, basic necessities and significant losses for the private sector.

During the meeting with the mayor of São Filipe, Nuías Silva, they reported that countless loads remain stranded in Praia, forcing them to bear additional storage costs and compromising the fulfillment of commercial commitments.

CV Interilhas, which is responsible for the maritime connections between the islands, currently carries out only three of the six trips provided for in the contract, at times which, according to them, "do not serve the interests of the class" and they acknowledge Atlantic Shipping's efforts to minimize the constraints in the face of the criticism that the island is losing competitiveness.

They have therefore decided to draw up a proposal for solutions to be presented to the government, at a meeting that the mayor of São Filipe, Nuías Silva, is scheduling during his trip to Praia on Saturday for an audience with the Prime Minister or the Minister for the Sea and CV Interilhas.

Among the urgent measures pointed out at the meeting, the introduction of the Praia d'Aguada ship on the southern line (Praia/Fogo/Brava) stands out, ensuring regular cargo transportation and addressing the limitations of the current Fast Ferry, which is considered insufficient to meet demand from the business sector.

The government's intervention with Enapor to reduce port operation fees and the creation of a special fee for the Praia d'Aguada ship, in order to make the trips economically viable and guarantee the continuity of the service, the increase in the number of Fast Ferry trips between Fogo and Brava and the provision of specific spaces for the transportation of business cargo and the reinforcement and repair of the crane and acquisition of suitable equipment for loading and unloading operations, are other measures.

As definitive measures, the entrepreneurs propose the acquisition of a cargo boat by the island's entrepreneurs, with a license to operate between Santiago and Fogo, the improvement and expansion of port infrastructures, allowing access for larger vessels.

He also advocates the classification of Fogo as a peripheral island, for the purposes of positive discrimination in transport policies and port taxes, and the creation of a joint fund between the municipalities of Fogo and Brava, for the acquisition of two cargo ships.

The businessmen warned that the problem of maritime transport is structural and jeopardizes the economic development of the island, which has potential but lacks the basic logistical conditions to compete on an equal footing with the other islands.

Inforpress