Samuel Conde, one of the leading promoters of the US$300 million Punta Caucedo port development, says that from the very initial stages of the project their efforts have been to invite the local shipping agents to participate. He states these efforts have been unsuccessful, despite formal invitations and proposals during the course of the last year and a half. Conde says Haina Port operations will continue to prosper once Caucedo becomes operational because Caucedo will be limited to the handling of containers, automobiles and other wheeled vehicles and possibly passengers from the cruise ship industry. "If you consider that at present the Port of Haina handles over 12 million tons of cargo per year of which only approximately two million tons come from containers, it is clear that Haina will continue to play a very important role in the overall import/export scenario of the Dominican Republic." For more information, see yesterday’s news brief at http://www.dr1.com/daily/news041901.shtml
