Over two months after the Guyana-Suriname ferry service was suspended, there is no word yet on when the main transportation link between the two countries will be restored.
And with soaring traffic across the “backtrack” route on the Corentyne River border utilising speedboats, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is concerned and hopeful that the ferry operations would resume soon.
“We have been engaging and have discussed that at our end. I held a meeting between our two agencies responsible: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Public Infrastructure. We decided to write them. In the meantime, people are going backtrack and we are concerned about that. We don’t want to hold anybody to ransom but we hope that very soon, this matter can be resolved,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Karen Cummings told Stabroek News yesterday.
On May 27, the Management of the Guyana-Suriname Ferry Service, through the Department of Public Information (DPI), announced the suspension of operations from that day until further notice. Terminal Manager Gale Culley-Greene had told DPI that the Canawaima Ferry had been experiencing mechanical difficulties for some time and a decision was taken to have the vessel assessed and repaired. Government had expressed concern at the inconvenience to travellers while saying that this country had been funding most of the maintenance over the years. It had also noted that the vessel’s engine “had been limping for some time and [the ferry] was being towed by a tug” during its trips between the two countries.
Cummings yesterday expressed optimism that the matter would be resolved soon. She reminded that Guyana has always held up its end of the agreement in relation to the operation of the service.
The ministry had previously explained that the service is offered through a joint venture, the Canawaima Management Company, which was launched between the governments of Guyana and Suriname in 1998. As such, financial and operational arrangements for the service, as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding, fall to both countries, to be shared equally.
“Speculation about the Government of Guyana taking on the obligation of entirely funding a joint enterprise of this type is erroneous. It is not in keeping with the bilateral agreement signed between the two countries that governs the obligations of both States regarding the operations of the ferry service. That agreement is still functional. There is no onus on Guyana to fund the replacement of the service either temporarily or permanently. The joint company has to ensure that the monies collected by or on behalf of the business are properly directed to defraying the expenses incurred,” the ministry had said in a statement following the suspension of the service. Meantime, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson is upbeat that the problem would be resolved soon and said he was told unofficially that the parts to repair the vessel had arrived. He expressed hope yesterday that the meeting between the two sides would provide clarity on the timeline for repairs.
“We are still in discussions with the Surinamese. I was told, unofficially, that they got the parts …last week I was told that. Foreign Affairs is trying to arrange a meeting. And when we do meet, we will get a full update from our Surinamese counterparts,” he said.
“They had said to us that it would take two months [to source]. I heard, from one of my staff that the parts, several parts, but I can’t confirm, that they have the parts. Hopefully the parts are there,” he added.
