Praia, Cape Verde, 7 Sept – Cape Verde will be prepared to compete with any of the world’s ports in 2012, when a huge investment plan across several islands is concluded, the chairman of port management company Enapor told Portuguese news agency Lusa.

According to Franklim Spencer, chairman of the board of Enapor, the idea is to make use of the Government’s investment plan, which according to Cape Verde’s Prime Minister, José Maria Neves, will total 300 million euros, to build infrastructures.

Last July the mayor of Praia announced that that amount would be invested in the port sector, covering the islands of Fogo, Sal, Santiago, Boavista, Sao Vicente and Santo Antao, including an airport built on the latter island.

The plan includes expansion or modernisation of the ports of Porto Novo (Santo Antao), Praia (Saniago), Vale dos Cavaleiros (Fogo), Boa Vista (Boavista) and Palmeiras (Sal).

“As of 2012, we will have port infrastructures to compete with other types of transport. On five or six islands there will be port terminals with conditions of quality and comfort that are similar or better than those of the airports,” he said.

According to Spencer, the government’s strategy is to have a big hub on Sao Vicente, specifically in Mindelo, to attract ships carrying over 4,000 containers. (macauhub)