Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, will meet with his counterpart in Suriname this week to put systems in place for the continuation of the Suriname-Guyana ferry service.
This was related by Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, who yesterday met with Surinamese ambassador to Guyana, Ebu Jones, to discuss the way forward on the matter.
Harmon noted that the issues have engaged the attention of both Heads of State and said that it is time for an amicable solution.
On Friday, the Director General had told reporters that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure were in negotiations with their counterparts in Suriname on the matter.
“We have completed what we need to do insofar as our obligations and so it is now really a matter of getting the two sides together to recognise that this is a service that the people are depending on and if it becomes necessary, I believe our Minister of Public Infrastructure has already started to contemplate whether we will have to put a vessel there ourselves,” Harmon told a press conference.
Last Monday, the Department of Public Information (DPI) announced that the ferry service had been suspended until further notice. Terminal Manager, Gale Culley-Greene, had told DPI that the M.V. Canawaima had been experiencing mechanical difficulties for some time and a decision was taken to have the vessel assessed and repaired.
In the meantime, the M.V. Sandaka has been deployed to transport those who have been stranded.
