Havenbeheer Suriname Port Management Company named Container Port of the Year

The Havenbeheer Suriname Port Management Company was announced the winner of the Ludlow Stewart Container Port of the Year 2022 award at the Caribbean Shipping Association’s (CSA) Annual General Meeting, Conference and Exhibition gala on Wednesday, November 2.

Havenbeheer Suriname Port Management Company’s successful submission was based on consolidated data provided by VSH United and DP World Paramaribo, the two container terminal operators in the port of Paramaribo.

The previous winner, the Freeport Container Port from The Bahamas, was named the runner-up, while Kingston Wharves Limited from Jamaica was declared the third-place finisher.

Havenbeheer Suriname Port Management Company came away as the best-performing port, topping several of the 10 key categories on its way to victory. The categories assessed by the panel of judges included productivity, the environment, gender and digitalisation. On hand to accept the award were Vanessa Aman, manager of corporate strategy and commercial services at NV Havenbeheer Suriname/Suriname Port Management Company; SjoerdPoort, managing director at NV VSH Transport; and Mervel Kotzebue-Fleur, general manager at DP World.

In her gala welcome remarks, CSA General Manager Milaika Capella Ras thanked all the entrants, noting that many excellent entries were received. She said, “Your work is a testament to the strides being made within our sector.”

For his part, the CSA Port Award Committee chair, Roland Malins-Smith, reported that the competition saw a 36 per cent increase in entries when compared to 2021.

The renewed interest in the competition over the past two years has been credited to the simplification of the questionnaire and the removal of absolute growth numbers, meaning that ports now compete against their previous performance, rather than other ports.

Members of the CSA’s executive will travel to Suriname early in the coming year to present the award to the winner’s staff.

The gala concluded the association’s three-day conference, which was held at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel and Casino in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The CSA’s Port Awards Competition was created in 1987 to promote the development and increased efficiency of port operations.