A $3.2Billion (US $15.6Million) contract was awarded for construction
and supply of a passenger and cargo ocean ferry vessel and associated
equipment that will ply the North West routed from Parika-Mabaruma.
This was disclosed today by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon at a
post-cabinet briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency.
“We will be receiving funding from India for the construction of the
ferry. That process is a lengthy one because it has to go through our
public service plus the Indian public service, so it takes time from
the actual conceptualisation of a project to fund it. It would have
gone through several phases and now a company has been identified to
construct the ferry”, Minister Harmon explained.
The North West district is currently served by the Transport and
Harbours Department’s refurbished M.V. Barima along with the Lady
Northcote.
To improve the facilities and quality of services offered to the
travelling public on the waterways, a sum of $500Million has been
allocated in 2018, for the docking of M.V. Makouria, M.V. Kanawan and
M.V. Sabanto in 2018.
