Copyright guyanatimesgy
as stakeholders press for local port facility amid delays in Trinidad The establishment of a deep-water port facility in Guyana is being pushed by stakeholders in the Government and the local private sector as the best solution to the prolonged delays with shipments at the port in Trinidad and Tobago. The Guyana Government is keen on pursuing a deep-water port facility at Berbice in Region Six. In fact, President Dr Irfaan Ali disclosed earlier this month that they are finalising the design of this facility. “We are working on the move towards the final phase of the deep-water port in Berbice, which will see the design completed, and then we will move towards construction,” the Head of State said to stakeholders at a breakfast event held on October 2 by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI). Days later, the local private sector, including the GCCI, complained bitterly about the continued delays in shipments to and from Guyana in Trinidad as a result of major congestion at the Port of Port of Spain. The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) said the challenges at the Port of Port of Spain have disrupted supply chains, creating delays in the importation of key raw materials. It noted too that for many local manufacturers and traders, these delays translate into higher costs, production slowdowns and loss of revenues. A game changer In fact, GMSA President Rafeek Khan subsequently told the Guyana Times that this situation is causing disruptions to both large and small Guyanese businesses, with even more dire consequences as the holiday season approaches. “So, look, eventually our ultimate solution is to have a deep-water port in Guyana,” Khan contended. This, he went on to point out, “…would be a game changer. Of course, it will turn around shipment time too because we are vulnerable for sizes of vessels coming into the country right now, and even for our exports, we’re limited because we have to ship to Trinidad and ship out from Trinidad.” Similarly, Guyana’s Chief Investment Officer, Peter Ramsaroop, also stated that a deep-water port is “definitely needed” in Guyana. “It’s been on the books for a while, but now, given the expansion of our relationship with Northern Brazil [Linden to Lethem] road connection, the deep-water port is necessary,” Ramsaroop recently told this newspaper. In fact, President Ali is already eyeing the recently increased £3 billion loan facility that the United Kingdom Export Finance (UKEF) is offering Guyana to possibly fund the deep-water port facility in Berbice. British High Commissioner Jane Miller recently confirmed to the Guyana Times that this was among several projects that the Head of State pitched to UK officials that the UKEF funding could be utilised for. The Guyana Government is already working with the international company Bechtel Corporation on the development of a deep-water port along the Berbice River. Bechtel has a significant presence in the development and management of deep-water ports, with experience in designing, permitting and managing the construction of such ports, as well as overseeing operations. The company has been involved in numerous deep-water port projects around the world, including ones in the United States (US), Australia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). During an outreach at New Amsterdam, Region Six, back in April of this year, the Guyanese leader had noted that this deep-water port aims to facilitate the development of Guyana’s second gas project that is to be built in Berbice as well. Only in July, a team from the US-based Bechtel, led by President of Regions and Corporate Relations Justin Siberell and including Regional President of Latin America Carlos Alarco, engaged senior Government officials on this project. At the meeting, the Bechtel team updated President Ali and Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh on the company’s ongoing work for the Government to advance the transport link between northern Brazil and the deep-water port planned to be built at the mouth of the Berbice River. Moreover, the President had also disclosed during an April outreach that local shipping competitors Muneshwers Limited and John Fernandes Limited, through their joint venture – Cranes Guyana Inc., will invest over US$285 million in a modern port facility at Berbice. He had noted that the two companies were in the process of finalising the funds with their investors for the first phase of a port facility to be located at Blairmont, West Coast Berbice (WCB). With Guyana positioning itself as a regional transport hub by building out new road networks and expanding existing ones like the Linden to Lethem Road, coupled with the new bridge across the Corentyne River to connect to neighbouring Suriname, the importance of a deep-water port facility here is even more heightened. According to Ramsaroop, this is especially so for Guyana’s position as the food capital of the region and getting its produce to more markets. “As we go to energy dominance, food dominance, and climate dominance – especially food dominance – we need to get our products to the wider markets. And a deep-water port brings in the larger ships,” he stated. Ports and artificial island expansion Currently, the Guyana Government is transforming the Parika Stelling into a modern international port facility. The pace of works on the Parika Port will accelerate in the coming months, and when completed, it will enable Guyanese businesses to export goods more efficiently to markets across the Caribbean and beyond. Additionally, the $4.5 billion port facility will also facilitate international travel for cruise liners or cargo ships transporting produce to the Caribbean and for persons seeking luxury travel. Similarly, a new $880 million multi-purpose wharf and port facility is also under construction at Charity, Region Two. Meanwhile, the country’s Chief Investment Officer pointed out that there are several other private investments being made to also bolster Guyana’s transport and logistic capability, including the US$300 million Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase facility – a 44-acre artificial island that was built for US oil major ExxonMobil, which is operating the prolific Stabroek Block along with its co-venturers offshore Guyana. In addition, Tri-Star Investment, owned by Guyanese-American developer Kris Persaud, is also undertaking a US$169 million multipurpose port facility at Versailles on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD). Ramsaroop noted, “It’s going to be one of the largest ports that will be able to take a lot of traffic that we may be facing right now because there’s not a lot of room in the Demerara River any more for a lot of ships. But this new port that Tri-Star is building should open this year, and that’s going to help new, larger ships coming into Guyana.”
