The executive director of the Dominican Port Authority (Apordom), Jean Luis Rodríguez, accompanied by the general director of the Specialized Port Security Corps (Cesep), Navy Rear Admiral Henry Antonio Guzmán Taveras, signed and delivered the certification for the Protection of Ships and Port Facilities (ISPS Code), to the anchorage, tourist and cruise terminal Samaná Bayport, in the northeast of the nation.
During the meeting, held in the conference room of the Port Authority, Apordom and Cesep certified that the tourist terminal underwent the process of developing the protection documents in accordance with the ISPS Code, as well as the Port Facility Compliance Declaration (PFCD), and its implementing regulations in the country.
Rodríguez, in his welcoming remarks, acknowledged the work carried out by Cesep together with the port entity regarding all matters related to port facility declarations. “This is a very positive day for the Dominican Port Authority, and for the entire national port system, a new terminal that manages to receive its compliance declaration guarantees us that in the coming months we can already be receiving cruise ships at this important terminal in the country,” stated Rodríguez.
For his part, the director of Cesep assured that the activity “is one more demonstration that the port structures execute national and international standards.”
“For me, it is a true pleasure to be able to deliver today, together with Apordom, the certification of this new port facility, which complies with all protection and security standards, both national and international, but it is also a new challenge that we have at Cesep and the Dominican Port Authority, because two types of operations are combined, an anchorage operation, an operation to receive cruise passengers directly,” assured Guzmán Taveras.
The anchorage, tourist and cruise terminal Samaná BayPort, located in Santa Bárbara, Samaná Province, was certified for five years, after complying with national and international regulations as established, and will receive annual validation or endorsement, in accordance with the results of the corresponding audit.
Manuel Peynado, representative of the Samaná Bay Port Consortium, expressed that “this is one of the most important achievements, because this certification guarantees us that we will be able to have an operation that meets international standards, and that guarantees the security, proper functioning and integrity of the operation and the terminal itself. We want to thank both the Port Authority, Jean Luis, his entire team, and Rear Admiral Guzmán, who have always given us the necessary support to be able to achieve accomplishments.”
The operations of Samaná BayPort will consist of receiving ships at the established buoy or anchorage area, located near Cayo Levantado Island, from where tourists will disembark aboard auxiliary vessels, which will transport them to the onshore facilities of this new tourist terminal, so that from there they can head to the various attractions offered by the province and its surroundings.
“Let us soon celebrate together what will be the arrival of the first cruise ships, and may they continue to multiply year after year, so that the Dominican Republic consolidates itself as that Cruise Hub of the Caribbean,” concluded Jean Luis Rodríguez.
