Two containers with commodities finally arrive on Rota

Two 20-foot containers loaded with commodities for Rota stores finally arrived early Saturday morning after more than two weeks of delay.

A shipping agent from Saipan confirmed with Saipan Tribune yesterday that the cargos were delivered by Super Shuttle at 5:30am Saturday and were cleared and later claimed by customers at 1pm yesterday.

Rota residents experienced a shortage of rice and other supplies last week after the island’s stores ran out of stocks. These stores failed to get their scheduled delivery, which is supposed to arrive every two weeks.

As a result, many residents were forced to ask their relatives on Saipan for rice while others resorted to bread and flour as alternative.

Storeowners expressed relief yesterday at the arrival of their supplies. They said a large number of customers trooped to their stores upon learning of the availability of rice.

The Saipan agent, who asked not to be named, said the delay of more than two weeks was due to a broken generator on the Super Shuttle, a vessel owned by Seabridge Inc.

The agent confirmed that it took the company a week to buy the spare parts and another week to repair the equipment. The containers, it was learned, have been ready for delivery since two weeks ago but could not be transported due to the non-functioning generator. The generator is used to connect the container to the port entry for loading.

Saipan Tribune learned that this was not the first time that cargo for Rota experienced delays. The usual reason, however, are rough seas and strong waves at the west harbor.

The agent said it is “extremely difficult” for any vessel to connect to the port because of the harbor situation. This is why, he said, they advise storeowners to accelerate their supplies during the rainy season, usually from June to December every year.

It was learned that only two 20-foot containers are delivered every two weeks for Rota stores.

Super Shuttle first transported its cargo to Guam before it traveled to Rota Saturday. Yesterday, it was scheduled to depart Rota for Tinian.

The Rota Legislative Delegation and the municipality have agreed to relocate the island’s harbor to the east side in an effort to jumpstart the island’s economy by attracting more vessels and ports activities.

Compared to the west harbor, the east side has a calm bay that can accommodate small and large vessels. A feasibility study is currently underway for the project, which was given a $25-million funding sourced from CIP monies.