Cape Verde has 9 ports, of which 3 ports receive international traffic (Praia, Porto Grande, and Porto da Palmeira).Maritime transportation is of great importance in Cape Verde due to the archipelago characteristics of the country. All islands have ports that allow maritime access. The ports of Fogo, Brava, and Santo Antão are very small, which limits the types of vessels traveling to these islands. Of the three international ports, only Porto Grande and Praia83 have capacity for receiving large ships and the movement and storage of containers. Overall traffic has increased significantly in past years (table 5.8). The authorities intend to use these ports as regional hubs to transport passengers and cargo.84
All ports are state owned and managed by the state port authority, ENAPOR, under the service port concept. As with TACV, the government long ago decided to privatize ENAPOR management, but here as well the process has met many challenges. In July 2006, the TA contract signed with Booz Allen Hamilton for the privatization ended without producing the desired results. A new privatization advisor has been recruited. The Millennium Challenge Compact financing of the rehabilitation of the port of Praia is tied up with the privatization of port management. Privatization is expected for 2008. Table 5.8 shows that traffic has increased significantly in the last years.
The main inter-island ferry service has been privatized, including a provision for subsidy to ensure minimum service on some non-profitable (low-demand) routes. These connections are important to connect the domestic market and also from a social point of view. Schedule reliability of the ships that combine passengers and cargo has been greatly criticized by local inhabitants and tourists.
