Guyana, Suriname Presidents for talks on financing of Corentyne River bridge

Last Updated on Friday, 22 March 2024, 6:49 by Denis Chabrol

Suriname’s President Chandrikapersad Santokhi is expected in Guyana this weekend to hold talks with President Irfaan Ali to decide on financing the construction of the Corentyne River bridge, the leader of that former Dutch colony said Thursday.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill on Friday ruled out the need to return to the tendering process for the for the construction of the bridge. He said the bridge is expected to cost just under US$300 million.

Mr Santokhi said his discussions with President Ali would focus on a number of recommendations that were made by a Joint Ministerial Committee meeting that was held in Guyana on March 19, 2024.

“The choices we make this weekend will determine the continuation of negotiations with specific companies as well as negotiations regarding management, management and financing of the bridge,” he said on his Facebook page.

The joint ministerial committee has already said that “it is anticipated that construction could commence before the end of 2024.” “A number of specific recommendations regarding construction, financing and management, emanating from this Ministerial meeting set out a clear time bound framework to take this initiative to a next level,” the two sides had said in a statement.

The Surinamese President said he would be accompanied by a technical delegation. Tenders and all that has happened so far, he said, would be reviewed in his discussions with the Guyanese leader. “If these are found good, decisions will be made regarding the progress, and which company we will sail with,” he said.

Two of five pre-qualified companies- Ballast Nedam and Chinese-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation- had submitted proposals to build the bridge but later reportedly said that the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model was not feasible, leaving Guyana and Suriname to search for financing.

Experts say the bridge, which will have a lifespan of 100 years and low as possible maintenance, will link Moleson Creek in Guyana with South Drain via Long Island.  It  will accommodate ships of 47,000 dead weight tons, a horizontal clearance of 100 meters and vertical  clearance of 43 metres

In recent days Guyana has been seeing a series of visits by high-profile persons: The Head of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns held talks with President Ali and top government officials in Guyana on his way to Qatar to deal with the Gaza war. Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud remarked that this “shows how important we are to engage on a number of issues.”

Former United States President Bill Clinton and former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair are also due here in the coming days. “These visits are not only to engage government on policies and talking about collaboration and bilateral relations but also the prominence and importance of too of the private sector of the different sectors of the economy that is growing,” Mr Persaud said.