Prime Minister Gaston Browne has defended the performance of the locally-based dredging company Blue Ocean, stating that the firm has proven to be more productive than a well-known international contractor.

Speaking on _Pointe FM_ on Saturday, Browne responded to criticism surrounding Blue Ocean, which the government partly owns, and compared its output to that of Dutch Dredging, a foreign firm currently working on the Parham port.

“The rocks there are extremely tough,” the Prime Minister said, referring to the dredging challenges in Parham. “Even the new firm that we brought in… their productivity is not even as high as that of our local firm.”

Browne noted that Dutch Dredging’s work has not surpassed that of Blue Ocean, despite perceptions that international firms may be more capable. “We should be a little more respectful of local talent,” he said.

He also underscored the cost-effectiveness of using Blue Ocean for ongoing and future dredging operations. “If we had Dutch Dredging dredging the harbour, what ordinarily would run us maybe close to $20 million—we would have probably about $50, $60 million U.S. It would have been beyond our means.”

Browne added that the government plans to continue using Blue Ocean for light dredging and maintenance in areas such as Fort James and other marina developments.

He described the government’s investment in the firm as a “visionary one” that would help keep infrastructure costs manageable.