Speaking at the formal signing ceremony on the eve of the nation’s 47th Independence anniversary, Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday declared that a landmark partnership with Global Ports Holding (GPH) will modernize St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ cruise infrastructure while driving direct economic benefits to citizens across the multi-island state.
Delivered at the Kingstown cruise ship berth, Prime Minister Friday’s address placed public accountability, sustainable growth, and national prosperity at the center of the agreement, which leases operational and development rights while maintaining 100% state ownership of the port facilities.
Reflecting on the nation’s maritime heritage, Prime Minister Friday noted that the existing cruise terminal was built over 26 years ago. While transformational at the time, he emphasized that the global cruise industry has rapidly evolved, with modern mega-vessels placing unprecedented technical and structural demands on port infrastructure.
“We cannot stand still while the rest of the world moves on,” Dr. Friday said, recalling a recent cruise vessel in Kingstown that resembled “a city beside the city”. “The question is not should we modernize. The question is how do we increase our capacity, improve visitor experience, and strengthen our relationship with cruise lines in a manner that is financially responsible while still protecting the long-term interests of the government and people.”
The Prime Minister shared that he personally inspected GPH-operated ports in the Bahamas and Antigua earlier this year to evaluate how public-private management models function in practice.
Dr. Friday underscored that the true metric of the deal’s success will not merely be larger numbers of arriving ships, but its direct impact on the livelihoods of everyday Vincentians.
Responding to comments from GPH executives, Prime Minister Friday remarked, “I like to hear Mehmet [Kutman] when he commits to saying that the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines are his boss. Well, more so than him, they are my boss because they elected me into office.”
“We campaigned on putting money in people’s pockets. This agreement will do that,” Dr. Friday stated. He outlined how the economic benefits will ripple outward beyond port gates into every corner of the country, from Union Island to Fancy:
- Tourism Operators & Vendors: Taxis, tour guides, artisans, restaurant owners, and cultural entertainers.
- Agricultural & Maritime Sectors: Local farmers providing fresh produce and fishers supplying their daily catch to visiting vessels and local venues.
- Logistics & Commerce: Truckers transporting goods, as well as hardware stores and suppliers providing materials.
- Youth & Entrepreneurs: Young Vincentians developing new excursions, heritage tours, and digital services.
Alongside economic expansion, the Prime Minister issued a strong directive regarding environmental preservation, cautioning that tourism growth must not come at the expense of the nation’s natural environment.
“We possess something extraordinary—a natural environment that is central to who we are,” Dr. Friday stressed, mandating that coastlines, beaches, marine reefs, and local ecosystems must be strictly protected as port capacity grows.
Closing his address, Prime Minister Friday called on local service providers, businesses, and communities to elevate service standards and actively prepare for incoming growth.
“We signed this agreement today with optimism but also with profound purpose,” Dr. Friday concluded. “When we look back on this occasion years from now, I want us to be able to say that what we began here… helped to create greater opportunity, greater prosperity, and a stronger tourism industry for the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
