and most port services transferred to the private sector, large and rapid improvements in productivity were observed between 1993 and 2003. These included a shift from 7 moves per ship hour to 52 moves per ship hour; and lower fees per port user, from $984 per container move to $222; alongside very attractive returns for the concessionaires. Similarly, in Argentina, improvements following the concessioning of terminal operations in the Port of Buenos Aires have been dramatic. Port charges and shipping tariffs declined sharply, labor productivity increased from 400 to 1,000 tonnes per worker per year, and cargo volumes increased from 4,000,000 to 6,000,000 tonnes in a three-year period (1993–96) (World Bank 2007).

# **4. Infrastructure Development**

## **a. Port Infrastructure**

**Most OECS ports were designed during the break-bulk era, and no major renovations have been made to properly handle containers.** Such ports include the older ports of St. John’s, Roseau, St. George’s, Basseterre, and Castries. Here, a significant amount of space along the piers is occupied by warehouses, presenting a physical obstacle to the efficient movement of containers and limiting the space allocated to container manipulation. In Antigua, for example, the Port of St. John’s has a large warehouse occupying 125 meters of the main quay, impeding proper container operations (table 4.3). The port in Dominica was built in 1976, with a concrete pier resting on deteriorated pylons. Dated port infrastructure and cost structures also raise operational costs.

**Except for Long Point in Nevis, the OECS ports have multiple berths over several terminals, often**

**used for multiple purposes.** In many cases there are (often large) specialized cruise ship facilities, but some islands get so many cruise ships at the same time that the main berth used for container shipping doubles as a cruise berth. All ports have relatively acceptable road access, but only Long Point Port in Nevis has access to rail. Computer-based systems for truck appointments, vessel traffic management, and vessel windows are conspicuously absent.

**Table 4.1 Physical Characteristics of Select OECS Ports**

|**Country**|**Port**|**Terminal**<br>**Area***<br>**(m^2)**|**Berth**<br>**(#)**|**Berth**<br>**Length****<br>**(m)**|**Maximum**<br>**Berth**<br>**Depth (m)**|**Maximum**<br>**Ship**<br>**Draft (m)**|**Maximum**<br>**Length**<br>**of Vessel**<br>**(m)**|**Crane Capacity,**<br>**Mobile Harbor >40**<br>**Maximum Lifting**<br>**Capacity (tonnes)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Antigua and<br>Barbuda|St. John’s|61,715|3|366|15|10|160|104|
|Dominica|Woodbridge<br>Bay/Roseau|43,000|2|244|11|8|200|No cranes|
|Grenada|St. George’s|42,492|2|335|9|8|168|No cranes|
|St. Kitts and|Basseterre|101,171|2|133|12|11|120|No cranes|
|Nevis|Long Point|40,469|1|355|7|6|160|No cranes|
|St. Lucia|Castries|117,360|8|482|10|9|200|52|
||Vieux Fort|50,000|3|373|11|10|200|80|
|St. Vincent and<br>the Grenadines|Campden<br>Park/Kingstown|63,749|2|495|15|11|167|110|

_Source:_ Authors’ own elaboration on primary data. _Note:_ *Authors’ estimates for St. Vincent based on Google Earth; ** Berth length includes all terminals. St. Vincent’s berth length includes Campden Park and Kingstown terminal. m = meters; m<sup>2</sup> = square meters; OECS = Organization of Eastern Caribbean States.

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