00:00Managing Director of Mount Grace Seed Depot Limited in Tobago, Ray Thomas is pushing back
00:06against claims by Acting Prime Minister and Works and Infrastructure Minister Julie John
00:12that there is no backlog at the ports.
00:15He tells the morning edition, the reality on the ground tells a different story,
00:20describing the situation as extremely difficult and in urgent need of intervention.
00:26More containers will be loaded today, toilet paper, feed, etc.
00:30So, to say there is no backlog, that's not true.
00:35If you go there now, this minute, in Port of Spain, at the Carricom area on the eastern end
00:42that bonds with the sea that divides the port and sea lots,
00:45you will find those 10 containers there loaded and blocked with empty pans to protect pilfrage.
00:52Thomas adds that the Blue Wave Harmony is now sailing roughly half as often
00:57as they were previously accustomed, resulting in fewer shipments reaching Tobago
01:03and growing shortages of goods.
01:05He says businesses are feeling the impact daily.
01:10It's Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 10 p.m. in the night, and then Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
01:18at 2 p.m. from Tobago, which gives us three days out of the six days that we were accustomed
01:25to.
01:25So, that tells the story, firstly, that we was cut in half in terms of the supply for Tobago.
01:32Meanwhile, David Wong, managing director of J. Wong's Seed Shop in Scarborough,
01:38is expressing frustration over reports that the MV Blue Wave Harmony remains in its sea trial phase.
01:45In my 30-plus years as business, running the family business,
01:50which has been in existence for over 80 years in Tobago,
01:54this is the first time I've seen so many sea trials.
01:57You know, boats have come, we have done some things,
02:01adjustments have to be made to the pairs or the jetties for landing,
02:04but they never took two, three, four sailings for sea trials.
02:08One or two was enough and they were whommed into service.
02:11While the ministry has indicated that the issue should be rectified by March 1st,
02:17he says small and medium-sized businesses are struggling to hold on,
02:21even as banks and creditors continue to demand payments with little regard for the disruption.
02:28But I've not heard anyone call for the banks to be patient, right,
02:32because all my loan payments got dragged out at the end of January
02:35and I'm pretty sure they'll be dragged out between today and tomorrow.
02:39I have a VAT payment to make tomorrow.
02:42Will Mr. Finance be patient?
02:44I have to pay salaries, it's month-end.
02:47Will my employees, will Mr. Thomas' employees be patient?
02:51Wang says the losses and costs being incurred are putting pressure on businesses.
02:58Nicole M. Romany, TV6 News.
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