New Cement bagging plant
to increase gov’t revenues
POINTE BLANCHE--St. Maarten consumes approximately 1.7 million 94-pound bags of cement annually. This translates into good business for the new cement bagging plant opened Thursday by Caricement/Holcim, next to Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facilities.
Company Island Manager Antonio Garrido said the bagging plant represents “US $2.5 million worth of confidence and belief” the company has in St. Maarten and its people. The plant has the capacity to store 3,000 metric tons of cement in its silos and another 2,000 metric tons inside the warehouse.
The production line can bag about 1,000 bags an hour or 90 metric tons in the truck filling system. The facility has about six weeks’ worth of cement to cater to the island’s needs. “This is the fastest operation in the North Eastern Caribbean.”
“St. Maarten is one of the fastest growth construction hot spots in the Caribbean. With clear evidence everywhere of economic and political stability, this plant will cope with the island’s demands,” Garrido said.
The plant is up-to-date and was built in accordance with safety and environmental regulations, he added. “We are foolproof here - a top-of-the-line plant for a top-of-the-line community.”
He commended government and its departments for being keen on ensuring all safety and environment concerns were taken into consideration.
Economic Affairs Commissioner Theo Heyliger said the plant is a change from the not so environmentally friendly one that has been removed from Simpson Bay. It also represents an increase in revenues for the harbour facilities and government as each vessel that comes in or leaves from the harbour must pay port fees, he added. When the plant was in Simpson Bay, no revenue was created for government via port fees.
“Like fuel, cement is positioned on the Dutch side of the island. If these facilities were in another area or in another place, that would mean you are not in direct control of your economy” as these are important and vital products for the economy, Heyliger said.
He congratulated the company on “having the pride and ability to invest with a government that knows that experience counts.”
St. Maarten Harbour Holding Company Managing Director Mark Mingo told the gathering the cement bagging plant, which was over three years in the making, was of mutual benefit to the island and the harbour facilities.
He commended the company for putting eco-friendly methods and efficiency to work by producing more cement but using less fuel resources. “We at the port operate under the same high environmental standard and we will continue to work on making improvements where necessary.”
He said at first the project, which has been three and a half years in the making, was not fully supported by St. Maarten Harbour Holding Company board of Directors because the directors had felt it was not in the plan for the facilities. However, as the facilities grew and visits were made to the company’s plant in St. Thomas, which is in the middle of that island’s cruise facility, the directors were more open to the idea.
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