Port Kaituma to get new stelling to accommodate Indian vessel

The village of Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini) will get a new stelling to accommodate the US$ 12.7 million Indian Ocean-going vessel dubbed ‘MV MA LISHA’.

Construction of the stelling will ease the transportation burden of residents and ensure the prompt delivery of goods there.

The announcement was made by Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill during a recent community engagement held at the Port Kaituma community centre.

“We are proud as a government that we are able to do the big things and we are able to do the small things. In a very short while we will have to build a stelling here in Port Kaituma to facilitate the MV MA LISHA,” said Minister Edghill.

This is a commitment of the PPP/C Administration of delivering infrastructural development to every region to improve the livelihoods of citizens.

Further, the minister noted that the bid for the construction of the new stelling has already gone out for tender.

The watercraft with a frontage length of 200 metres is being constructed through a line of credit from the Government of India and is expected to sail Guyana’s waters before year-end.

The 70-metre-long and 14.5-metre-wide vessel is twice the size of the MV Kimbia, and MV Barima, which currently ply the North-West route.

The new vessel can transport 274 passengers, 10 cars, four trucks, and 10 (10ft) size containers of cargo at 14 knots per hour, cutting the usual travel time by half.

In January 2021, the agreement of supply was signed between the Ministry of Public Works-Transport and Harbours Department and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRESL), a renowned shipyard company contracted to construct the vessel in Kolkata, India.

Minister Edghill visited Kolkata, India in April to inspect and test the new vessel to ensure it functions effectively before coming to Guyana.

Meanwhile, the Transport and Harbours Department has contracted Caribbean Engineering and Management Consultants (CEMCO) to rehabilitate Mabaruma, Marawaina and Port Kaituma wharves in the region to the tune of $700 million.  

Minister Edghill said the designs are ready for Mabaruma and the bids that were received were over $1 billion.

A similar cost is expected for the construction of the Port Kaituma stelling.

In addition, the minister said the stelling at Marawaina will only undergo some basic adjustments.