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Ambitious Panama Canal Expansion
to Raise Ship Tolls
Panama has unveiled plans to increase tolls on the
Panama Canal to help pay for an ambitious US$5.25 billion expansion of
the world famous waterway, a senior government official said.
The Panamanian Congress has formally approved the ambitious
plan to widen the Panama Canal, its biggest expansion since it opened in
1914, in order to accommodate modern ships which have now become too wide
to go through the canal. And even those ships that can pass have to queue
for hours.
“It’s a lot of money, it’s about a third of the economy,”
said Ricaurte Vasquez, Panama’s minister for canal affairs, referring to
the cost of the project.
Panamanians overwhelmingly approved the plan in a referendum
on October 22 and the overhaul will allow their inter-oceanic canal to
handle mammoth modern cargo ships.
Panama has already put canal customers on notice that
it would like to double canal tolls over the next 20 years to finance the
expansion.
US vessels remain the biggest users of the canal, followed
by Chinese and Japanese ships, and also Chile, according to the Panama
Canal Authority.
Vasquez said Panama’s possible need for external financing
to overhaul the canal would depend on its toll revenues. “The financial
needs will be increased or reduced accordingly.” he said.
The 80-kilometer Panama Canal, which was controlled by
the United States until 1999, handles nearly 5% of global trade. At present,
it can only handle ships carrying up to 4,000 containers, known as Panamax
vessels. But with wider locks and deeper and wider access canals,
it could take ships carrying up to 10,000 containers. The current locks
are 33 meters wide, but the new locks would be 50 meters. A third lane
of traffic would be able to handle the wider loads. |
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Ambitious Panama Canal Expansion
to Raise Ship Tolls
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Need a break?
Participate in seafarer’s
sports while in Rotterdam and Antwerp?
ISS/ICSW, in cooperation
with Friends of UFS in Rotterdam, has initiated a host of sports activities
for seafarers calling ports in Rotterdam and Antwerp. For more information,
contact Jorg Pfautsch, telephone number 0032-478-292469, or UFS-Rotterdam
at 010-4668300. |
THE
SEAMAN’S CHURCH INSTITUTE OF NY & NJ
International Seafarers’
Center
118 Export Street, Port
Newark,
New Jersey 07114
TELEPHONE (973) 589-5828
FAX (973) 8565
WE WELCOME YOU!
– MON - FRI 8:30 AM to10
PM
– SATURDAY 4 to10 PM
– SUNDAY 4 to 10 PMFree
Transportation to the center / Worship service, prayer meetings, and counseling
is provided aboard ship by request, and the Mariner’s Chapel / Cross &
Anchor calling cards – low rates for domestic and international calls ($10
and $20 cards available) / Books, Bibles, magazines, religious materials,
trucker resources, and used clothing / Postal services (U.S. mail, priority
/ express mail, Fedex) available / Money orders and money gram services
to all countries / Cash remittance to the Philippines / Internet access,
email services, faxes / Sports & Entertainment–large screen TV, ping
pong, darts, billiards, soccer, basketball, and video games / Fitness Center
/ Shower–no charge for seafarers / Gift Shop–candy, greeting cards, soda,
souvenirs, health and beauty products, clothing / New Jersey Gardens–the
largest outlet mall in NJ just 15 minutes away / Bus service is available
/ Balikbayan box shopping, UPS / Restaurant / Bar–Breakfast, lunch, and
dinner.
Serving the ports of Newark,
Elizabeth, Jersey City, Bayonne, Port Reading, Kearny, Linden, Carteret,
Perth Amboy, Staten Island, and Brooklyn |
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