|
|
|
|
Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
 FREEPORT, Grand Bahama Island – Bahamas Oil Refining Company (BORCO) is disappointed by the recent statements in the media questioning the efficacy of our standards of safety, operations and manpower development. We are particularly saddened that these statements about BORCO have been made under the leadership of an individual who has no demonstrated practical experience in marine pilotage or marine operations.
There has been little discussion of the fact that while the BMPA is an independent association, the same group is also attempting to set up a second organization: the for-profit Freeport Pilotage Company, which the BMPA would use to be the sole source of pilotage. The clear intention is to establish a for-profit monopoly enterprise for financial gain at the expense of the longstanding, reputable businesses operating in Freeport Harbour.
The BMPA has not disclosed any financial capacity, capabilities or infrastructure to take over pilotage. Furthermore, the BMPA has yet to offer any solutions that it will be able to practically implement to address what they claim to be safety issues at the harbor. Right now, many of the members of the BMPA are BORCO employees (or former BORCO employees) who acquired all of their pilotage skills via training and experience at BORCO. Changing these pilots’ affiliation to a third party, for-profit company with little demonstrated resources or capabilities will not improve the safety of BORCO’s marine operations in any way, but rather create unnecessary jeopardy.
BORCO’s marine operations are very safe, and we stand by the work of our pilots to ensure that safety. Any claim to the contrary is false. The BMPA and its collaborators are the only group making a claim that our operations are unsafe. There are many ports throughout the world where the pilotage services are provided by the port users and not an independent association. Here in the Caribbean, St. Eustatia, Aruba, St. Croix, Maricaibo Vz, Bonaire, and St. Lucia have Marine Terminals that employ company pilots. In addition, the many oil terminals around the world that use private pilotage do so because the attendant risks and consequences of a casualty event warrant ensuring the facility has properly trained pilots and general control of the marine operations.
BORCO continues to be dedicated to the people, community and economy of Grand Bahama Island. For over 50 years, dating back to Freeport Bunkering, operations at BORCO have been conducted at or above international industry standards. Our performance as a responsible corporate citizen of Grand Bahama, and in sponsoring, facilitating and supporting the development of generations of Bahamian professionals is a matter of record.
Maintaining management control of our marine operations is the best option for BORCO and Grand Bahama. The costs of recruiting, training and retaining highly skilled marine pilots are substantial and BORCO has the resources, and has demonstrated its ability to provide the necessary training. We will continue to uphold the performance standards that have long been key to the BORCO brand in The Bahamas, and in the international oil transshipment and storage industry.
Establishing a for-profit, monopoly pilotage service without resources or sustaining capabilities will not increase safe marine operations, and is in fact irresponsible and driven by financial gain. We are committed to making Freeport a global logistics hub that supports free-enterprise commerce. BORCO will continue to do its part to offer diverse career opportunities for Bahamians. This ill-guided effort to cause irresponsible harm to BORCO and put undue pressure and constraint to impact our ability to continue providing safe and reliable operations will not succeed.
ADDTIONAL INFORMATION ON BORCO’s TRAINING AND SAFETY
· BORCO’s training program is on par with the best in the industry. BORCO pilots undergo regular training per industry norms, contrary to public assertions. We have recruited, engaged, trained, and maintained a team of marine pilots with the skills and capacity to provide safe services that meet international industry standards.
· BORCO is constantly incorporating the latest technology and safety advances. Our marine and pilotage infrastructure includes technology, procedures and policies that emphasize operational safety and pilotage best-practices as part of our commitment to protect our pilots, customers, port facilities, the marine environment, and the people of Grand Bahama. We currently employ a program that identifies the location of a vessel at any given point in time. We are also working with a company to install a marine simulator in Grand Bahama, furthering the level of training and efficiency for all pilots and tug captains on the berthing process.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON BORCO’s PILOTS
· BORCO provides a safe and efficient work environment and we have a long history of taking care of all of our employees. We deeply value our pilots, all of whom are native Bahamians and members of this community. BORCO provides an excellent career path that begins with the selection of qualified candidates to serve as trainees. We take pride in developing and investing in our pilots and helping them advance through all various clearance levels to move their careers forward within BORCO.
· We continue to make significant investments to recruit additional qualified Bahamian pilots to join our elite team. In fact, we have been seeking to fill the positions of the pilots who tendered their resignations, and have received interest from many talented Bahamian applicants and we are currently in the process of carefully vetting several candidates.
· We are committed to the Freeport community and having Bahamian employees at BORCO.
Related:
(Video) Bahamas Marine Pilots Holds Emergency Conclave
BMPA Statement on Marine Pilots in Freeport, Grand Bahama
© Copyright 2014 by thebahamasweekly.com
Top of Page
|
|
|
|
