Mike Maura, President & CEO of APD Limited published the following statement:

“At APD, we were thankful that the Friday (October 2) morning news brought no reports of deaths or serious injuries resulting from the passage of Hurricane Joaquin through our southern islands. However, we were saddened to learn of the damage to homes and other structures in Acklins, Long Island and elsewhere in our chain. The Board and Executive of APD conferred and have decided unanimously to help in the best way available to us through the facilities of Nassau Container Port.

“Out of deep concern for the comfort and security of our brothers and sisters in the affected islands, APD will, for a specific period of time, facilitate the shipping of qualifying goods from Nassau or transshipping through NCP to those islands that have been most impacted by Joaquin. Members of the APD Executive team are currently working out the specifics of our Relief Plan as regards duration of support and other details.

“It is imperative to ensure that this process be properly regulated for greatest benefit to those who have suffered loss. We are determined that our assistance will go to those who need it most. In this regard, we are counting on The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the official management body in such crises, to play a pivotal role in the approval of qualifying cargo to qualifying consignees. All shipments consigned to NEMA-designated consignees under the APD Relief Plan will not incur NCP charges, provided the cargo is containerized and in gauge. Other cargo types may have a cost, but we intend to work to keep such costs as manageable as possible.

“Our prayer is for the continued safety of all Bahamians and all visitors to our islands and that our recovery from the impact of Hurricane Joaquin will be swift and lastingly beneficial,” Mr Maura said.