Guyana leaders call for Caribbean port modernization and maritime security

During the 56th Annual General Meeting of the Caribbean Shipping Association in Georgetown, Guyanese President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Minister Deodat Indar addressed critical challenges facing the region’s maritime sector.

President Ali proposed a regional investment plan to modernize Caribbean ports, seeking support from the Caribbean Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. He noted that many regional ports are over 50 years old, leading to high shipping costs that inflate the price of food and construction goods. Ali emphasized the need for public-private partnership models to address uneven infrastructure, weak inter-Caribbean trade, and climate-related threats.

Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar warned of the rise in “dark fleet” operations, where vessels use fraudulent national flags to smuggle weapons, sanctioned oil, and people. Indar called for unified regional action to combat these criminal activities, noting that such fraud damages the reputation of maritime authorities and affects insurance and shipping lines.