The less-than-optimum ship and air connections between the island of São Nicolau and the rest of Cape Verde are affecting local economic activities, particularly the import sector. The alert comes from the island’s business operators, who also complain about the unfair competition that exists on the island.

São Nicolau’s business operators say they are unhappy with the less-than-sufficient air and shipping connections between their island and the rest of the country. According to them, the passenger and cargo ship Tarrafal makes one regular weekly connection, while the ship Mar Liso, which once transported cargo between São Vicente and São Nicolau and vice-versa with a certain degree of regularity, has not docked at Tarrafal de São Nicolau, the island’s main port, for more than two months. In terms of air connections, the island sees two flights per week, which according to them is manifestly insufficient.

The managing associate of Casa Alves in the town of Ribeira Brava stresses that this situation is jeopardizing retailers, particularly importers. In addition to their irregularity, José Martins Lopes adds that shipping connections are becoming increasingly expensive, as the port of Tarrafal, where merchandise is shipped off and unloaded, is relatively far from Ribeira Brava.

“The situation is aggravated even more by black market commerce, practiced not only by street vendors but by the Chinese,” says the managing associate of Casa Neves, one of the oldest commercial establishments on the island.

The managing associate of Tarrafal-based Gualcom e Miranda & Delgado, Tomaz Gualdino Delgado, also says that São Nicolau’s isolation as a result of the lack of air and sea connections is the most serious problem faced by the island at the moment.

“Alongside the business volume, which is small, the lack of transportation to and from São Nicolau affects local business operators even more. The cost of unloading the products, which we import in containers directly from Europe, is getting expensive. In addition, the 15% Value Added Tax applied to general commerce should be moderated. We’re not against the Chinese, but the government should limit the areas in which they can do business,” says Delgado.

Delgado says that many vendors of merchandise who never pay taxes operate in Tarrafal de São Nicolau, one of the island’s two municipalities. “These illegal vendors don’t provide jobs or pay taxes. But we maintain 22 permanent job posts in our two firms and we pay more than 20 million escudos in taxes per year,” questions Tomaz Gualdino Delgado.

Local PAICV National Assembly representative Manuel Fernandes says that he has discussed the issue of the irregularity in air and shipping connections between São Nicolau and the rest of the country with authorities on various occasions, and agrees with the opinion that the situation negatively affects the island.

“But through our contacts with TACV, we were informed that even on the few weekly flights carried out the number of passengers has been ridiculously low, sometimes no more than seven, traveling between São Nicolau and Praia or São Vicente and vice-versa. The same has occurred, according to maritime and port authorities, with passenger and cargo traffic when some ships come to the island,” says the legislator.

Manuel Fernandes affirms that officials in the area of sea and air transportation have questioned the economic viability of their connections to the island, an aspect he believes should be taken into consideration as well.

Source: A Semana