Guyana and Brazil are working towards having a single motor vehicle insurance policy that could be used not only between the two countries but in all Mercosur (Southern Common Market) states in keeping with Brazil’s membership of Mercosur.

The representative of the Brazilian National Agency for Private Insurance Paulo Penido, who took part in meetings with representatives of private insurance in Guyana including the North American Life Insurance Company, said there was need for one common insurance policy that would give Guyanese access to the South American inter-continental highway.

The Mercosur countries are Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela.

Penido was among the fifteen-member delegation of public and private sector officials from Brazil’s capital Rio de Janeiro and the State of Roraima who participated on Thursday in the Extra Ordinary Meeting of the Guyana Brazil Joint Commission on Road Transportation. The meeting was to work out modalities for the review, amendment and implementation of the agreement in view of the completion of the Takutu Bridge where work is scheduled to restart this week.

It was a follow up to last year’s inaugural meeting of the Joint Commission which was held in Georgetown. However, on that occasion the insurance, customs and immigration representatives were absent.

Also speaking with the Stabroek News, State Secretary of the State of Roraima, Sergio Pillon, another member of the delegation, stated that it could be expected that the Brazilian government would declare Bom Fin an international port-of-entry by year end, following the completion of the Takutu Bridge linking Guyana and Brazil by road. (Miranda La Rose)