BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FOR the first time in recent history the St. Christopher and Nevis Air and Sea Port Authority (SCASPA) has recorded a profit, and this was achieved in the last quarter of 2010.
This revelation was made by the Head of SCASPA’s Corporate Affairs and Public Relations, Delcia Bradley-King, who declared that the profit was realised in the last quarter immediately after a number of cost cutting initiatives were implemented.
Bradley-King however stated that she was not in possession of the figures but noted that management of the Port is very happy to know that a profit was realized within such a short time after the restructuring.
“Last year we saw a profit for the last quarter of that year. It is the first time in over a decade that the Port realised a profit on a quarterly basis,” she said, adding that after careful and extensive evaluation in 2010, they decided that they had to cut costs.
This, she said, was because it was discovered that the cost base was too high and measures had to be implemented to make the company viable and more productive.
“Last year we made a careful decision to reduce staff costs in order to create a more efficient organisation as we recognised that our operational costs were excessive and without structural changes the organisation would not be able to attain a sustainable recovery,” she said.
Bradley-King stated that the restructuring process was expertly executed.
“It was very well planned and executed; we had a general staff meeting with everyone and pointed out to them what our plan was. We offered a package to them and in that package we outlined everything.”
Bradley-King dismissed the view that some persons may have been forced to accept the package, stressing that acceptance was voluntary. She explained that employees were given one month to consider whether they wanted to leave or remain, and that the outcome was reflective of individuals’ choices.
“From the day after the meeting, we had persons coming into the office asking for the forms which they had to complete to indicate their intention. And so we had to counsel persons, letting them know that they had one month to think about it. We even suggested that they consulted with persons before making a decision,” she said.
Bradley-King declared that she is very satisfied with the manner in which things have been moving along since the Port was restructured and the direction the company has taken since the appointment of its new CEO, Terrence Crossman, in April 2010. She noted that the company has become more effective and efficient in its delivery of services to the general public.
Bradley-King was also careful to point out that the Board, led by Chairman Linkon Maynard, the Minister and the Cabinet have all been very supportive of the measures taken to achieve the turnaround that SCASPA has begun to realise, noting that the initiatives would not have succeeded without the support at this level.
Regarding the possibility of disruption of services, Bradley-King said she does not envisage any and explained that SCASPA has already ensured that certain services were outsourced.
She also explained that in other areas where there was need for additional staff, persons were employed in order to ensure that SCASPA continues to offer a high standard of service to the public.
Noting that December is usually the busiest month of the year at the Air and Sea Ports, Bradley-King pointed out they were still able to provide excellent service. She also noted that the cleaning of the airport was outsourced because most of the cleaners had willingly taken the package.
In addition to airport cleaning, she said cargo handling, airport equipment handling and grounds maintenance were all outsourced after the restructuring.
“We outsourced certain services so as to ensure that the business community and the general public were able to see a smooth transition. We also ensured that there were no interruptions and disruptions in our service. We are very satisfied that after three months things are going very well.”
Bradley-King said the current staff is highly motivated and very hard working.
She disclosed that SCASPA has adopted the motto, “Building A Culture of Excellence”, and its entire focus has been creating a vision that is built on that motto.
“Underpinning that motto is a 4Ps strategy - People-Process-Productivity-Profit - that has positioned SCASPA to offer the level of service that is in keeping with the company’s objectives. SCASPA is now more effective and efficient in its delivery of service to the public and there are a number of plans that we intend to roll out this year in an effort to continue better serving the public,” she added.
She further disclosed that there are currently 175-180 persons employed at the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority and that there has been a significant increase in staff productivity and boost in morale among staff.
