| Authorities unaware of plans for ship on Fogo-Brava line | ||||
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Cape Verdean authorities are not aware of the project aimed at placing a ship on the route between the islands of Fogo and Brava announced by entrepreneurs in the United States. Minister of Infrastructures, Transportation and Communications Manuel Inocêncio Sousa affirms that he has yet to receive any documents on the supposed initiative. The Maritime and Port Institute, meanwhile, admits is was approached by a businessman who claimed to be Portuguese and who requested information on the legal procedures necessary for a ship to operate in Cape Verde, bur Institute president Zeferino Fortes guarantees nothing concrete has been established. According to Sousa, based on the information he has gathered, most of its through the press, the entrepreneurs intended to bring the ship to Cape Verde this month, and, with July nearing an end, are mentioning August as a likely date. “We have nothing on this process, neither us at the Ministry nor the Maritime and Port Institute. I think it was just a rumor,” he affirms, adding that even if the project does go forward and the ship is brought to Cape Verde, the initiative is unrelated to the Cabo Verde Fast Ferry project. Maritime and Port Institute president Zeferino Fortes confirms that people have sought out the institute to request information on what is necessary in order for a ship to operate in Cape Verde, but guarantees that there is nothing concrete. “About a month and a half ago, a Portuguese businessman residing in the United States came to speak with us. He requested information, but we haven’t had any feedback yet. One must remember that this is a process that takes some time because there are certain procedures that have to be followed, including registration and inspection. So I don’t see how they could have a ship operating by August, as has been announced.” In early July, news began circulating about an initiative by a group of entrepreneurs residing in the United States who intended to begin shipping routes between Fogo and Brava and the rest of the country in August. The ship spoken about, with a capacity for 580 passengers and 600 metric tons of cargo, was allegedly being purchased in the United Kingdom. The ship was to carry out regular trips to all of the islands, but would have two set routes per week (on Wednesdays and Saturdays) between the islands of Brava and Fogo. However, over the past several days, rumors have been circulating in Cape Verde that the ship is rather old and had most recently been used exclusively for the transportation of livestock rather than passengers. Although he did not refer directly to the group of businessmen promoting the project, Cape Verde Stock Exchange president Veríssimo Pinto hinted, in an interview with A Semana Online, that certain individuals have been trying to boycott the Cabo Verde Fast Ferry project, which intends to place two specially-built high-speed ships at the service of Cape Verde. “There are a few pseudo-entrepreneurs of questionable patriotism and honesty and accustomed to juicy business deals who are carrying out an intensive campaign against Cabo Verde Fast Ferry in the hopes that things will go badly so they can move forward with a project with ships that are more than thirty years old,” said Pinto, speaking about the public offer of future bonds for Cabo Verde Fast Ferry. |
