ST. VINCENT & GRENADINES Campden Park : Kingstown Country Information: International telephone Code: 784 Capital: Kingstown Official Language: English Area: 389 square km (150 square miles) Population: 109,000 Currency: East Caribbean dollar Public Holidays: New Year's Day St Vincent & the Grenadines Day (22 Jan) Good Friday Easter Monday Labor Day (May) Whit Monday Caricom Day (1st Mon in July) Carnival (Beginning of August) August Monday (1st Mon in Aug) Independence Day (27 Oct) Prince of Wales's Birthday (14 Nov) Christmas (25-26 Dec) Organizations: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (non-signatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO MINISTRY RESPONSIBLE FOR SHIPPING: Ministry for Communications & Works Government Building, Kingstown Tel: +784 457 2039 Fax: +784 456 2168 Business Hours: Mon-Fri: 08.00-16.00 BANKING Hours: Mon-Thurs: 08.00-13.00 Fri: 08.00-1700 SVG Shipping Association The St Vincent & the Grenadines Shipping Association continues to function as the representative body of the main shipping agents in the state. Changes: Since 1996 the association has seen considerable changes taking place in the shipping industry. A matter of concern that has increased since 1997 is that some shipping lines have decided to change from their traditional agents to new and smaller units which offer them apparent reduced costs. This situation is being looked at very carefully. Containers: Another development has been the virtual transfer of breakbulk/container cargo to mainly containerised cargo with the steady decline of breakbulk consignments even for these small island ports. Unfortunately, the association has been unable to reduce the manpower/gang size commensurable with this significant change of cargo unit. As will be appreciated, this problem is made more difficult by virtue of the very high level of unemployment and the increasing numbers entering the local labor market year after year. However, a very positive effort is being made to develop the tourist industry with the new cruise ship and ferry berth in Kingstown Harbour. This is scheduled to commence operations at the beginning of the 1999/2000 tourist season.
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