Ali leaves room for Suriname on Corentyne River bridge

Last Updated on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, 18:09 by Denis Chabrol

President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday left the door open to considering any other proposal for Suriname on constructing a bridge across the Corentyne River, while maintaining that he was keenly interested in continuing with the “official” joint venture proposal.

“If any other request is made, then , at that time, I will be in a position to pronounce on it and you can rest assured that I will pronounce decisively on it,” he said when asked by Demerara Waves Online News.

Dr Ali said since news broke on Tuesday that Suriname said it would build the bridge on its own and users would have to pay a toll, he had not received any official update from the Dr Jennifer Geerlings-Simons-led administration. “I have not received anything officially other than what is in the media. I know the Minister of Finance (Dr Ashni Singh) reached out but our position is very clear. The Corentyne River bridge is a bridge that is being discussed jointly. It’s a joint project by the government of Guyana and the government of Suriname and that is how it will be,” the Guyanese leader said.

Asked why Guyana could not accede to Suriname’s request rather than have no bridge, the President said Guyana was “interested in being part of a project that covers two sovereign spaces in a joint manner”. “There is no other official position that is before me. There is no other official request that is before me,” he said.

Just before the Progressive Reform Party (VHP) lost the May 2025 elections to the Dr Geerlings-Simons’ National Democratic Party (NDP),  Guyana and Suriname had received bids  from The Netherlands-headquartered Ballast Nedam and China Road and Bridges to construct the estimated US$300 million bridge under a Design, Build, Finance and Operate model. That model had been recommended by the Trinidad-based consultancy firm, WSP Caribbean.

Planners envisage that the bridge would replace the 27-year old ferry service between Moleson Creek in Guyana to South Drain in Suriname.