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As Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) observes its two year anniversary on July 1, the company continues to implement its Environment and Social Management System (ESMS) aimed at reducing any potential negative impact of its operations on its stakeholders and surrounding communities. To this end, the company recently launched its environmental initiative called KFTL Go Blue under the theme “Recycling Begins with you.” The launch, which coincided with World Environment Day on June 5, featured various initiatives to improve waste management, energy and resource conservation.

Colour-coded bins have been placed in various locations of the terminal to facilitate separation of waste streams by staff and stakeholders. The separated waste will then be collected by designated recycling contractors. The company will also utilize various communication materials to help promote and encourage recycling practices. These materials will include a video, posters, signs and vehicle wraps. An environmental mural has also been painted on the wall near the company’s entrance to showcase KFTL’s commitment to pursue its business goals in harmony with the environment and stakeholders.

In addition, KFTL has discontinued the supply of single-use plastic straws at its canteen facility and is advancing plans to replace styrofoam food-ware with bio-degradable containers.

Earlier this year, KFTL reported that over 8,299 bags of garbage, comprising mainly plastics, were removed from the Refuge Cay mangroves in Kingston. This was part of a cleanup and restoration project sponsored by KFTL and executed by the University of the West Indies (UWI) Centre for Marine Sciences and the Port Royal Marine Laboratory.

KFTL has also sponsored the ‘Port Royal Cays Coral Reef Rehabilitation’ project, the implementation of which will begin in 2018, the International Year of the Reef, and will feature the design, installation and monitoring of artificial reef structures on the Port Royal Barrier Reef.


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As millions across the globe observed World Earth Day on April 22nd under the theme “End Plastic Pollution,” Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) is reporting the removal of 8,299 bags of garbage, comprising mainly plastics, from the Refuge Cay mangroves in Kingston. This effort was the first phase of a cleanup and rehabilitation project sponsored by KFTL and executed by the University of the West Indies (UWI) Centre for Marine Sciences and the Port Royal Marine Laboratory. The cleaning started on January 8th 2018 and lasted 6 weeks.

 
In addition to the bags of garbage, other items cleared included 30 refrigerators, 13 cooking gas cylinders, five washing machines and over 50 tyres. Miscellaneous items such as car bumpers, crates, buckets, a scuba tank, nets, fishing lines and other small appliances were also removed.

 
The second phase of the project, the installation of barriers to prevent further garbage buildup on the Cay, was completed on March 23rd 2018. The third phase, which involves fisher folk removing garbage built up in the barriers on a monthly basis, commenced in April 2018; while the fourth phase, the replanting of mangrove saplings, is slated to begin in May 2018.

 
Following on these gains, KFTL has also commenced initiatives at its facility to help end plastic pollution. These include removing single-use plastic straws from its canteen and embarking on a recycling campaign, which will encourage staff to separate various waste streams, including plastic. Moreover, plans have been initiated to replace the company’s supply of styrofoam containers with bio-degradable alternatives.

 
Locally, the Recycling Partners of Jamaica reported that between March 2014 and March 2017, it recovered over 3.3 million pounds of plastics – or over 100 million bottles – from the environment in Jamaica. Meanwhile, according to the Earth Day Network, the organization that leads Earth Day observations worldwide, over 300 million tons of plastic are sold globally each year, 90% of which is thrown away.


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The Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL), operator of the Kingston Container Terminal, has completed renovations on the first section of its South Berth and is ready to restart operations in that area.
The renovations, which include the reinforcement of over 1200 metres of the South Terminal, form part of the civil works aimed at upgrading the Terminal and are amongst several investment commitments KFTL made upon assuming responsibility of managing the facilities in July 2016.
The first 600 metres were completed under Section One (1) and the remaining 600 metres of the South Berth will be reconstructed under two additional sections and are expected to be completed by the end of 2018, all at a cost of approximately US $150 million.
Combined with the arrival of new gantry cranes and new cargo handling equipment, KFTL is increasing its capacity and ability to perform at the next level. With these improvements, KFTL will be able to facilitate larger vessels, which will translate to increased transshipment business for Jamaica.
“KFTL staff are excited about the additional capacity and stand ready to turn this opportunity into a success for the Kingston Hub,” noted new CEO, Johannes de Jong. He added that “these improvements could not have taken place without the support of the Port Authority of Jamaica and other stakeholders.”
The civil works is being executed by a consortium which includes Vinci Construction Grands Projects, EMCC and Sodraco and managed by Egis Ports Consultants on behalf of KFTL.
In addition to the completion of Section One (1) of the civil works upgrades, KFTL also completed upgrading of the nautical access in August 2017 after months of dredging to deepen the shipping channel. The achievement of these significant milestones now enables the Port of Kingston to accommodate, on the newly refurbished section, the new Panamax container vessels of up to 14,000 TEUs, which can now pass through the region following the recent expansion of the Panama Canal.


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The Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) is urging importers to immediately take delivery of their containers which have been on the port for extended periods of time.

There are currently 1,250 containers (2000 TEUs) waiting to be collected, with 31% having been on the terminal for up to a week, 38% for up to 14 days, and the remaining 31% for more than two weeks and up to three months. This has resulted in reduced efficiency of the loading equipment due to rehandling and increased waiting time for trucks taking delivery.

The Jamaica Customs Agency has also advised that a number of these containers have already been duty paid and custom cleared and are only awaiting collection. As such, KFTL is asking the relevant companies to contact its Gate Operations unit in the soonest possible time to make arrangements for collection.

KFTL also wishes to remind importers/exporters to schedule and honour appointments made for delivery, as over the past 3-4 weeks, there has been a decrease in the number of appointments made and honoured. Currently, there is an average of 30% of units shifted per day which are not being collected and are accumulating in the domestic area, which has also impeded service delivery.

KFTL remains committed to ensuring that its volumes and productivity levels continue to improve and seeks the continued cooperation of all relevant stakeholders in facilitating this.


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The Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) has implemented additional changes to its gate operations following agreements reached during a series of meetings with the key stakeholders involved in the process. The changes took effect Monday, October 2, 2017.

Following a meeting held on Wednesday, September 27, 2017 among KFTL, the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ), Port Trailer Haulage Association (PTHA), the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA), the Custom Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of Jamaica (CBFFAJ), and the Jamaica Society of Custom Brokers (JSCB), the following conditions were agreed on and have been implemented.

  • Amendments to the Appointment System – KFTL has amended requirements to the current appointment system for the delivery of all import containers. This now sees appointments only being accepted for containers which have been ‘Customs Duty Paid,’ while customers making appointments have to provide proof of this ‘Customs Duty Paid’ status.
  • Re-introduction of the former Appointment Penalty System for ‘Missed Appointments’ – two ‘free appointments’ are granted, with a penalty of US$100.00 being imposed for the third missed appointment and an increase of US$100.00 for each appointment made thereafter (i.e. fourth appointment = US$200.00, fifth appointment = US$300.00, etc.)
  • Re-assignment of Entry Lanes to the Terminal – entry lanes have been re-allocated to facilitate segregation of trucks according to transaction type. This is expected to help ease the traffic congestion in the area especially during peak periods.
  • Re-pavement/Repair of Domestic Loading bays and sections of driveway – repair work has already been completed. In addition, there are clearly marked routes to guide truck operators whilst on the terminal and separate operating lanes have been assigned for Container Handling Equipment and trucks in the loading area.
  • Creation of an ‘Express vetting’ window to complement Express Lane – gate staff have been redeployed to facilitate express transactions to ensure maximum efficiency throughout the system.

    Other areas remain under review for subsequent meetings including the extension of the gate operational hours to facilitate increase in ‘seasonal’ volumes as well as the staggering of work hours for Jamaica Customs and PAJ Security. There are also plans to facilitate a change in direction of the fourth lane to facilitate an additional entry lane to the Terminal as well as to engage the National Works Agency (NWA) to change the current direction of the East to West lane.

    Meanwhile, KFTL is also in the process of recruiting additional staff as well as increasing its fleet of equipment to help meet the demands of its operations and ensure greater efficiency.


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The Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) has completed the capital dredging of the shipping channel within the Kingston Harbour. The dredging, which was scheduled to be completed in 9 months, was completed 1.5 months ahead of schedule and fulfilled all conditions outlined in its Environmental Permit issued by the National Environmental and Planning Agency (NEPA).

The dredging facilitated the deepening of the nautical access to allow the Port of Kingston to accommodate larger New Panamax container vessels, which will now be passing through the region following the recent expansion of the Panama Canal.

The final handover of the upgraded Nautical Access to the Port Authority will occur in the coming weeks pending the completion of verification surveys and the reinstatement of Navigational Aids.

KFTL, which is the new concessionaire for the Port of Kingston, started the dredging in January 2017 under the terms of its concessionary agreement with the Port Authority of Jamaica.


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The northern section of the Hellshire beach in Portmore, St. Catherine, which is used by fisherfolk to park their boats, was one of the locations which benefitted from cleanup efforts during the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day on September 16, 2017. The cleanup was executed by volunteers from Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) who were among thousands of individuals across Jamaica who participated in the 32nd annual ICC event aimed at raising awareness about waste and its impact on the environment.
In addition to cleaning up the northern shoreline of the beach, KFTL volunteers also gathered data on the garbage collected, which will be used by the Ocean Conservancy and Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) to educate and advocate for improved waste management practices and policies.
As part of its corporate social responsibility programme, the KFTL decided to join in this year’s activities, organizing and sponsoring its own cleanup efforts at the selected location. “We are aware that every year, various companies join together and clean up the Hellshire shoreline on ICC Day, however KFTL wanted to specifically see how we could have a more targeted impact on what we considered to be an underserved area of the Hellshire shoreline, which is highly used by the fisherfolk in that community,” noted Christopher Gayle, Environmental Specialist at KFTL. He added that over 100 bags of garbage were collected, including over 3000 plastic bottles, which were handed over to the Recycling Partners of Jamaica, following the cleanup on Saturday.
This is the second beach cleanup activity which the KFTL has undertaken in less than three months, with the last cleanup held at the Rae Town Fishing Village in Kingston. Additionally, it is one of several activities which form part of KFTL’s community development programme.
ICC Day, which takes place on the third Saturday in September every year, is the largest one-day volunteer event in the world and has been coordinated globally by the Ocean Conservancy since 1985 and locally by JET since 2008. The theme for ICC 2017 was “Nuh Dutty Up Jamaica”, which aims to improve citizens’ knowledge about the impact of poorly handled waste on public health and the environment, and encourage personal responsibility for the generation and disposal of waste. The main sponsors of ICC Jamaica 2017 include the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), which has been funding ICC since 2008 and the Yello Media Group.


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Over 80 children from communities around the Kingston Harbour recently benefitted from a back to school initiative sponsored by the Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL). The initiative included a back to school medical fair, a book drive and the award of over 20 scholarships.

The scholarships, which were sponsored by KFTL and administered through the Jamaica Fisherman’s Cooperative Union (JFCU), were awarded to Primary, Secondary and Tertiary students, all of whom are children or grandchildren of fisherfolk from landing sites around the Kingston Harbour. In addition to the scholarships, KFTL employees also facilitated a Book Drive through which they donated books and funding to purchase supplies for the fisherfolk’s children. The awards and book supplies were issued at a ceremony held on Friday, September 1, 2017.

Dr. Chanelle Fingal-Robinson, KFTL’s Social Impact Specialist, noted at the awards ceremony that “this initiative is part of the entity’s efforts of helping to improve the lives of fisherfolk in surrounding communities.” She added that this was one of several corporate social responsibility programmes that KFTL employs.

Maxine Brown-Dorma, a vendor from the New Forum Fishing Village, was one of the persons whose child benefitted from the scholarship. “I am very grateful to KFTL and JFCU for partnering to provide us with these scholarships. It has been a huge help to me and to others in assisting us to get our children ready for back to school,” she said.

The back to school Medical Fair, also sponsored by KFTL, was done in partnership with doctors from The Paediatric Place, and was held on Saturday, August 26, 2017 at the New Forum Fishing Village, Port Henderson Road, Portmore, St. Catherine. Children from surrounding communities received comprehensive medical examinations including eye tests, urine tests, blood pressure and blood sugar tests, among several other services. The patrons also received dental hygiene supplies from Great Shape! Inc., a charitable non-profit organization which provides literacy, dental and eye care services to Jamaicans in several communities.


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In an apparent attempt to stave off criticism about the potential damage its dredging of Kingston Harbour is causing to marine species and livelihoods, Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) has been sponsoring corporate social responsibility projects in the areas affected by its work.

The two latest initiatives — Restoration and Clean-up of Refuge Cay Mangroves and Port Royal Cays Coral Reef Rehabilitation — are to be executed by The University of the West Indies (UWI) Life Sciences Department through the Centre for Marine Sciences and the Port Royal Marine Laboratory, with financial support from KFTL.

The work is expected to contribute significantly to increasing the fish and seafood stock, as the area is home to numerous species of birds, and serves as a nursery and feeding ground for a variety of fish species, especially those of commercial importance.

The agreements to give effect to the projects were inked last Friday by CEO of KFTL, Olivier Tretout, and Principal of UWI, Mona campus, Professor Archibald McDonald.

The restoration and clean-up of the Refuge Cay mangroves will last for one year and will involve the removal of the heavy build-up of solid waste from the cay, as well as the replanting of mangroves. The Port Royal cays coral reef work, meanwhile, will be implemented over a five-year-period and will feature the design, installation and monitoring of artificial structures on the Port Royal Barrier Reef.

Both projects will also be of financial benefit to Kingston Harbour fishers as some will be directly engaged in their implementation, KFTL said. Among the expected benefits are the creation of alternative livelihoods for fisherfolk, to include ecotourism.

“These two latest initiatives form part of KFTL’s corporate social responsibility efforts and are among several projects aimed at benefitting stakeholders, primarily fisherfolk, within the Kingston Harbour,” the company said. “KFTL remains committed to enhancing the quality of the Kingston Harbour, as well as the lives of the fisher folk who depend on it for sustaining their livelihood and future.”

In addition to the projects aforementioned, the port of Kingston concessionaire sponsored a clean-up of Rae Town fishing beach on Saturday. The clean-up was organised by the Community Safety and Security Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and netted over 10,000 plastic bottles, and other garbage.

KFTL started dredging the shipping channel in the Kingston Harbour in January to make way for larger container vessels expected as a result of the recent expansion of the Panama Canal.

Source: Jamaica Observer


Contact Us

More Contact Info
1 876 923-5141-5
1 876 923-3100 (fax)
customerservice@kingstonfreeport.com

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Operating Hours

Vessel Operations are 24/7

Gate Operations – 7am – 4:30pm

Fridays – 7am-4:00pm

(closed on weekends & public holidays)

Warehouse Operations – 8am – 4pm (closed on weekends & public holidays)

Location

Berths 9-11, Port Bustamante
PO Box, 214 G.P.O. Kingston
Jamaica W.I.