…as 36 persons arrive in Guyana, 34 depart
The Guyana-Suriname Ferry Service will now operate on a daily basis following the return of the Canawaima on Monday.
Some 36 persons arrived in Guyana from Suriname on the ferry while 34 departed for Suriname. In addition, five vehicles arrived and six departed on the newly refurbished vessel.
The Canawaima ferry
The vessel which is owned by the Dutch speaking territory had been in dry docks for more than a year.
The Moleson Creek crossing was closed in March 2020, owing to the emergence of the novel coronavirus that had quickly developed into a pandemic. But even with the reopening of Guyana’s major airports and borders, the resumption of the Guyana-Suriname ferry service was stalled after it was reported that a number of Cuban refugees had been camping out at the Suriname end of the border, waiting to travel to Guyana.
The MV Canawaima was also taken into dry docks in March 2020 when the service was suspended due to the coronavirus; the vessel has been plagued with problems.
On October 5, discussions on resumption of the Canawaima Ferry Service were held with officials from both Guyana and Suriname who met to iron out outstanding matters concerning the ferry.
Guyana’s Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, met with his Surinamese counterpart, the Minister of Transport, Communication and Tourism, Albert Jubithana, for the discussions.
In February 2021, the Guyana-Suriname Ferry Service had recommenced operating for residents travelling between the two neighbouring countries, following months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That changed in April of this year when the Public Works Ministry, in conjunction with the management of the Canawaima Ferry Service, had announced a suspension of all leisure travel to Suriname until further notice. The Ministry had stated at the time that only repatriation trips and health emergency evacuations would be allowed during the lockdown.
The Canawaima Ferry Service Inc was introduced to Guyana on October 28, 1998, under the Companies Act, Number 29 of 1991, of the Laws of Guyana. It is jointly owned by the Governments of Guyana and Suriname, as each country owns 50 per cent of the issued share capital. Under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, some $488 million was spent to rehabilitate the MV Kimbia which serviced communities along the Berbice River and the North West District.
Additionally, major upgrades were done at the Guyana-Suriname Ferry Service – upgrades that included repairs to the manager’s office and VIP lounge; removal of vents and installation of doors; removal of windows, repairs to the washroom and waiting area, and some other works in the canteen and waiting area. The project, which commenced on May 30, 2017, was executed to the tune of $9.2 million by Kascon Engineering Services of Region Six.
For years, the Guyana-Suriname Ferry Service served as a critical and legal link between the two countries, mutually improving economic and cultural relations. Without the ferry service, scores of persons in Suriname and Guyana usually resort to the alternative “backtrack” routes.
Earlier this year, three Guyanese met their demise while attempting to return home via the backtrack route. Reports are that the three were dropped off in waist-high waters and left in the dark of the night to manoeuvre their way to land, which was nowhere in sight. The trio eventually drowned.
