Not onus on Guyana to fund replacement of ferry for crossing with Suriname -says Foreign Ministry

The ferry which traverses the Corentyne river between Guyana and Suriname has been put out of operation until further notice, with no replacement plan in place.

Not onus on Guyana to fund replacement of ferry for crossing with Suriname  -says Foreign Ministry

Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Guyana will request an early meeting with officials from Suriname about the ongoing problems with the Canawaima ferry.

The ferry which traverses the Corentyne river between Guyana and Suriname has been put out of operation until further notice, with no replacement plan in place.

In its statement, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said it would be erroneous to speculate that the Government of Guyana would be taking on the obligation of entirely funding the joint enterprise.

The Ministry said such a move would not be in keeping with the bilateral agreement signed between the two countries that governs the obligations of both States regarding the operations of the ferry service.

The agreement is still functional.

According to the Foreign Ministry, there is no onus on Guyana to fund the replacement of the service either temporarily or permanently and the joint company has to ensure that the monies collected by or on behalf of the business are properly directed to defraying the expenses incurred.

The Ministry reminded that the operation of the ferry vessel, Canawaima has been a responsibility of the Guyana and Suriname Governments since its launching in 1998.

Guyana, the Ministry said, has been funding most of the ferry’s operations.

The statement said the Canawaima Ferry company failed to effect immediate repairs when the ferry started to experience engine troubles two years ago.

According to the Agreement, the maintenance of the ferry is to be shared equally, but that has not been happening.

” In a bid to reduce the hardships to passengers and businesses using the service and in order to give the neighbouring state time to meet its obligations, the Government of Guyana has been funding most, if not all of the maintenance works on the ferry over the years”, the statement noted.

The Guyana/Suriname Cooperation Council at its meeting in 2018 underscored the importance of the Canawaima Ferry Service to bilateral trade and cross border tourism between Guyana and Suriname and agreed that the efficient and optimal operation of the service was to the benefit of both countries.

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