Minister of Industry and Tourism, Aloun N'dombet Assamba (left) makes a point to Robert Stephens (centre) Project Officer, Business Development, Port Authority of Jamaica, and vice-president of Security at the Port Authority of Jamaica, Superintendent A. J. Forbes. The occasion was Thursday's signing of a US$17.75 million five-year Facility Fee Agreement between the Port Authority of Jamaica and Carnival Cruise Lines. The signing took place at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. - Contributed
JAMAICA HAS signed a multi-million dollar 'facility fee agreement' with Carnival Corporation which guarantees the country half a million or more cruise passengers yearly and earnings of more than US$17 million over four years.
The deal with the Port Authority of Jamaica replaces the 'Head Tax' agreement of the 1980s. Transport Minister Robert Pickersgill, who has portfolio responsibility for ports, said it "will address the past weaknesses of the previous agreements (and will) guarantee future growth in cruise passenger revenue for the Port Authority, and the country in general".
FOUR-YEAR AGREEMENT
Over the life of the four-year agreement which runs from January 2004 to December 2008, Carnival which is among the world's largest vacation lines, will bring 2.5 million cruise visitors to Jamaica.
Last year, over one million cruise passengers visited the island. This figure is expected to increase with the new partnership with Carnival.
With the expected increase in revenues from this venture, Minister Pickersgill said several expansion projects slated for various cruise ports around the island will get under way, along with the Government's port security programme which has to be implemented by July 1 as stipulated by the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) Port Facility Code, the IMO/ISPS Code.
