Port paralization means a serious damage to tarapacá

Date: 2013/03/28

This kind of events affect the competitiveness of the entire area and in the medium term will affect employment and the welfare of the whole community, because of a possible fall in the arrival of cargoes and which could be attended by other ports as a result of the "region image" we are showing to Chile and to our neighboring countries.

The statement was made by the president of the Maritime and Port Chamber of Chile AG, Iquique Local Council, Mr. Rodrigo Aguila.

He added that "the worst is that this paralization was caused by a situation beyond local port, as it was caused by an artificial conflict in Angamos port within the terminal, and not in Iquique. It is worrying that economic activity of Tarapacá region is being affected, this time by a paralysis that has no possibility of a local solution. "

He also said: "not only loses cargo, the most serious is there is a loss of prestige of Iquique as a logistics service provider. Shipping Companies are the customers they decide the arrivals of vessels and unfortunately the operators of cargo vessels feel Iquique is unsafe, that it is not a reliable port for vessels and therefore they seek other ports as is Matarani in Peru and Arica more north. In fact just today a vessel caming to Iquique had to be deviated to Matarani port in Peru. "

The president of the Maritime Chamber also indicated that due to a string of conflicts Iquique has lost credibility and trust. cargo transfer has increased in neighboring ports in recent years at the expense of Iquique, the statistics prove it. These paralizations also affect community, as it produces shortage of products in medium term, and also unemployment.

Finally he said: "Because of the aforementioned we make a call to rationality of workers to reconsider the situation created, dialogue with their employers and ultimately returned to Iquique the quality of being a reliable and secure port to foreign trade and production activities of the region, "he concluded.

Source: Diario 21