Africa-Press – Cape verde. The administrator of the maritime transport concessionaire CV Interilhas recognized the need to improve the provision and quality of the service, highlighting that the payment of the debt by the Government will allow the company to invest in more investments.
As a summary of the year 2023 and prospects for 2024, Fernando Braz de Oliveira recalled in an interview with Inforpress, that a contract was signed with the Government in 2023 that allowed the company to optimize the operational model and exploitation of ships and therefore improve public service conditions.
“2023 marked this transition in which we stopped being a slightly disorganized service, without timetables, rules, to an optimized service in terms of timetables, of the lines that make up CV Interilhas and we guarantee the passenger a regularity of maritime transport service for passengers and of load. And that was the milestone for us to improve this service and transform a service that was operation-centric into a customer-centric service,” he said.
At the moment, he explained, the company has four ships at its disposal, stressing that the operational model of the inter-island connection works based on three ships, namely the Dona Tututa, Kriola and Chiquinho, adding that the Liberdadi ship is used as reinforcement for certain circumstances of breakdown, but it has not responded to the demands.
Fernando Braz de Oliveira highlighted that he understands the criticisms that are often made by customers regarding the provision of maritime transport services, as long as they are constructive, stressing, however, that the sea is an adverse environment for operations, which demands crews and SC engineering make a huge effort to maintain the operational level and resources are always scarce.
“If I could, I would have a ship for every Cape Verdean. Unfortunately, it is the resources we have and what is required of Cabo Verde Interilhas, is that it knows how to manage these resources in the best way”, he stated, highlighting, however, that the main objective of the concessionaire is always the customer.
“We do not master the meteorological and oceanographic conditions, which often prevent commanders from operating safely and therefore, what we always try with the means we have, is to ensure that we at least take the fulfillment of what we are responsible for to the limit of safety. before the Government and each citizen”, he reinforced.
Fernando de Oliveira highlighted the potential opportunities in Cape Verde in the development of solutions that promote improvements in territorial cohesion, indicating that in 2024 CV Interilhas wants to invest in more investments, with emphasis on the acquisition of ships.
He admitted the need to improve the provision and quality of the service, highlighting that the payment of the debt by the Government will allow the company to invest in more investments.
“CV Interilhas has not fulfilled its mission well and that is why every day we try to ask our customers where we are failing and how we can improve. Do we serve well? No. Can we serve better? Yes, we can”, he acknowledged, considering on the other hand 2024 as the year of great challenges.
The same source also added that the aforementioned company has had an open, frank dialogue and in close collaboration with the Government because there are accounts for 2021, 2022 and 2023 that are around 10 million euros, whose debt resolution will allow the objectives set to be met, aiming to improve the quality of interisland transport service.
“This funding will allow us to invest in better capabilities and conditions for ships and logistical operations for all this investment in Cape Verde. This amount will allow us, in the investment plan, to eventually invest in the acquisition of these two catamaran ships and after we acquire these ships, carry out modernization, adapting the ships to operations in Cape Verde. We have investments in logistics centers, training of seafaring personnel, among others,” he said.
When asked, on the other hand, about CV Interilhas’ revenues in 2023, he said that the balance is positive and that the data will be made available soon, thus allowing us to know the values calculated.
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