A summary of a 2013 market study embodying proposals for a land transport link and deep-water port connecting Guyana and Brazil suggests that such a project here is feasible.
“The results show what we all know, that there is a market for containerized cargo,” Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson told Stabroek News yesterday.
While the full report on the study, which began in 2013 from funding by the IDB, is yet to be released, yesterday saw the handing over of the final results to Patterson. He assured that when the final report is submitted it would be released to the public.
The IDB released a statement after the handing over of the report, which was held at the Marriott Hotel, informing of the presentation.
“Lead consultants from the German firm HPC Hamburg Port Consulting GmbH will present the final results of a market study on proposals for a land transport link and a deepwater port connecting Guyana and Brazil”, the notice said.
The IDB pointed out that the new market study focuses on the volume of trade between Guyana and Brazil and its relevance to a deep water port in Guyana.
“Specifically, the study assesses the trade volumes in terms of traffic potential, examines the existing main trade routes in relation to future cargo flows, and identifies current logistical gaps needed to facilitate formalized cross-border trade with Brazil,” it says.
“These final results are expected to provide Guyanese authorities with a platform to further deepen bi-national dialogue on regional integration with Brazil and concentrate on the development of a medium-term strategy to increase bilateral trade and job creation.
The preliminary results of the study were presented to a similar group of stakeholders in June 2016.”
When the study was launched in 2013, the IDB had said that it would set the tone for eventual financing through a public/private partnership.
Divided into four components the study had set out to determine the size and value of the shipping markets in the Brazilian states of Amazonas, Para and Roraima so as to ascertain the degree of trade that could be diverted to a port in Guyana, as well as new commodities that could be traded between these Brazilian states and Guyana. The demand for land transportation between Guyana and northern Brazil will also be examined, given the scenario that a suitable port(s) is available on the coast of Guyana which could accommodate the shipping needs associated with the expected demand.
Among other assessments, it would have also analyzed the current and future (growth) transportation and market demand in the Amazonas/Roraima states of Brazil and also current options and cost available, considering the ports in Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana.
A key element of the market study would be consultation with the shipping stakeholders in Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana to ascertain the relationships they have with shipping lines and also to better understand the dynamics of the industry.
