Singapore: Voters in an online poll have questioned the need for the Chinese-backed Nicaragua canal. Construction on the waterway is set to start this month, but readers of Maritime CEO have said there is little need for this Panama alternative. Wang Jing, a telecoms tycoon in Beijing, is spearheading the development which is expected to cost up to $40bn.
Fully 68% of votes in so far have said there is no need for the new canal. While many cited environmental damage, others questioned potential quality issues.
One respondent commented: “There will be those that suggest a new canal will bring competition to the market place; but this often leads to a ‘race to the bottom’ and I believe we would see both canals suffer maintenance deficiencies that could ultimately lead to two ineffective canals.”
With just 24 hours to go until voting closes, the latest online survey from our sister title, Maritime CEO, is throwing up some interesting debate and points of view.
For instance, Maritime CEO asked what sector readers would invest in if they were given $100m. The results for this question have see-sawed almost every day, and now with 563 votes cast so far, LNG is just pipping OSVs and containers.
The survey takes just two minutes to fill in and there is no registration. If you feel like leaving a comment, please do!
Other topics include unmanned ships, internet connectivity at sea and the supersizing of ships.
Full results of the poll will be carried in the upcoming latest issue of Maritime CEO magazine. Voting closes at noon GMT on Tuesday.
To vote, click here. [01/12/14]
