São Vicente: Prime Minister inaugurates Porto Grande cruise terminal

The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 18:00 with the unveiling of the plaque and the cutting of the ribbon.

This will be followed by the official speeches by the president of the Ports' management company (Enapor), Ireneu Camacho, the deputy director-general of the European Union's International Partnerships, Myriam Ferran, the ambassador of the Netherlands, Carmen Hagenaars, and finally the prime minister, Ulisses Correia e Silva.

The event will also include visits to the facilities and cultural moments animated by voices such as Dieg and Fattú Djakité, Hélio Batalha and Paulinha, Grace Évora, Diva Barros, Neuza de Pina, Arymar, Cláudia Sofia and Rnany.

The chairman of Enapor's board of directors revealed that the inauguration of the cruise terminal is expected to increase ship calls in Porto Grande and Porto Novo by 40 percent (%) by 2030, strengthening the country's position in the sector.

In an interview with Inforpress, Ireneu Camacho explained that, according to the partner with whom Enapor is working on the Cruise Destination Development Plan, GPH's Inception Report, the number of cruise ships in the country is expected to double in the coming years.

According to the same source, the terminal's main advantage is that it will separate the embarkation and disembarkation of cruise tourists from other port loading and unloading operations, a scenario that used to be the case at Porto Grande.

Such a change, explained Irineu Camacho, "will have a significant impact on improving the experience" of tourists, on the safety of operations and on São Vicente's reputation as a tourist destination.

The work on the terminal was awarded for around PTE 3.6 billion, co-financed by the Netherlands' ORIO Fund and the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) Fund for International Development.

The investment was also included in the European Union's Global Gateway package for Cape Verde, with 300 million euros planned for the coming years.

The project bears the signature of Portuguese architect Luís Pedro Silva.

Inforpress/End