$2.5B ferry to ply Georgetown/North West route to arrive by year-end

-stellings being reconfigured to accommodate vessel

The $2.5 billion ferry that will ply the Barima-Waini (Region One) to Georgetown, route is expected to be in Guyana at the end of the year. The vessel, which is being funded by the Government of India, is being constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited.

“We are happy to report to you that work is ahead of schedule on this project. A team from Guyana visited India in November and the report is that we should have this ferry in Guyana, ready for operation within the last quarter of this year,” Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill said during the Ministry’s end -of- year press conference on Monday.

The current set up of the stellings will not suit the design for the new ferry, hence, Minister Edghill said, the facilities are being re-designed to accommodate it.

“Both the Georgetown Transport and Harbours facility, the facility at Kumaka, Morawhanna, as well as Port Kaituma will be reconfigured and work is advancing on that to facilitate the new ferry from India,” Minister Edghill said.

Funding for the ferry was sourced through a $3.6 billion line of grant and credit from the Government of India.  When the contract was signed in January 2021, Minister Edghill had disclosed that the funds were available since 2015, but no contract was awarded.

Construction of the new vessel will replace the aged M.V. Kimbia.