Mauritius Maritime Week 2018

The MMW, which is being held from 22nd to 26th January at Ravenala Attitude Hotel in Balaclava, is an international trade event organised by Transport Events Management Limited of Malaysia in collaboration with the Mauritius Ports Authority to showcase Port Louis Harbour as a cruise destination and maritime hub. The MMW also comprises the Indian Ocean Ports and Logistics (IOPL) 2018 Conference and Exhibition, which will feature some 30 International Exhibition Stands.

The exhibitors include leading shippers, cargo owners, importers/exporters, shipping lines, freight forwarders, logistics companies, ports, terminal operating companies, railway operators, port equipment and service suppliers from the Indian Ocean islands and countries from Africa, Europe, and Asia. The event is being attended by some 300 delegates who will be participating on topical issues related to global transportation and logistics conducted by international speakers.

The Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, present at the official launching, stated that the Government is determined to have world class transportation systems, logistics and facilities for the sustainable growth of Mauritian economy. To this end, it is investing massively for the infrastructural development of the Port Louis Harbour into a preferred maritime hub offering a spectrum of associated services in the Indian Ocean.

The MMW, the Prime Minister underlined, is set to showcase the Port-Louis Harbour as an integrated platform for five main sectors, namely, container transshipment, bunkering, cruise tourism, seafood and ancillary port services. Over the last 50 years, Mauritius with its strategic geographical location has been able to transform itself into an important maritime logistics as well as a transport hub, he emphasized.

With regards to the quay extension project, Prime Minister Jugnauth recalled that it has enabled to position Mauritius as a full-fledged transshipment hub and major shipping lines have already expressed their interest to increase their container transshipment volumes. He highlighted that other major projects, namely the development of the Riche Terre Special Economic Zone, an Island Container Terminal at Mer Rouge and a Cruise Terminal building, amongst others, are in the pipeline.

The Port Louis Harbour, Prime Minister Jugnauth pointed out, will undoubtedly become the fastest growing sector of the ocean economy and will have a leading role to play in the coming years.

Students visit the Port

On the second day of the workshop, students were offered a guided visit to selected port facilities and infrastructure. Arriving in the morning at the H. Ramnarain Building at MPA headquarters, the group of students were given a presentation on numerous ‘career prospects’ available in the Port and the need to draw on human capital to elevate Mauritius as a leading Logistics nation, thus encouraging more youngsters to different port related sectors such as Cruise Tourism, Bunkering, Transshipment, Fishing and Marine / Port Services.

It is important to note that the MPA recently launched efforts to initiate a first batch of 30 youngsters directly in the field of port activities & logistics including on-site training, which is a testimony of the Authority’s on-going commitment to providing new job opportunities for future generations.

Students were thereafter guided by bus to selected regions of the port to take a closer look at various aspects of port related activities. The visit of the port area culminated with an inspection of the harbour radio facilities at La Capitainerie Building, where contact is established with each vessel entering Port Louis Harbour.