The new North West Ferry is expected to be completed and delivered before Christmas, according to Indian High Commissioner Dr K J Srinivasa.
“The ocean-going ferry, that is well underway. We should have that here by end of this year before Christmas, even though the time [for completion] is ’til next middle of next year,” the High Commissioner told Stabroek News during an interview yesterday.
The vessel is being built by Garden Reach Ship-builders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) at a cost of US$12,733,403. It is being funded through an US$18 million grant/line of credit, with US$8 million in the form of a grant and US$10 million in a line of credit.
Dr Srinivasa told this publication that the Indian government understands the importance of the vessel and its impact on the Guyanese public. On that note, he added that the builders are expediting the project.
GRSE is one of India’s leading shipyards and is located in Kolkata, West Bengal. It builds and repairs commercial and naval vessels. The Indian High Commission had said that GRSE is a prominent shipbuilding company in India under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence, primarily catering to the shipbuilding requirements of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard.
In addition to its ship and warship building capacity, GRSE is also engaged in engine production and other engineering activities.
Back in November last year, the keel of the vessel was laid in Kolkata and the ceremony was witnessed by a number of local officials including, Stephen Thomas, Director-General of the Maritime Administration Department.
The Ministry of Public Works said that the 70m-long vessel, with a displacement of 1700 tonnes, is propelled by two diesel engines and Twin Disc Gear Boxes to achieve a maximum speed of 15 Knots. The vessel has been fully designed by the GRSE design teams and can accommodate 294 passengers (including 14 crew members) along with 14 cars, two trucks and 14 containers and cargo.
The contract for the building of the vessel was signed on January 13, 2021, and marked the end of a years-long delay in the major project.
It was initiated under the Donald Ramotar administration following a visit to India. In 2016, the US$10 million deal was signed between Guyana and Exim Bank of India. The loan is a standard one with 20 years to pay back with a five-year grace period.
In 2019, the project was stalled after the Bank did not provide a no-objection to the contractor recommended by the Guyanese government.
At the signing of the contract in January last, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill had said that the development signifies the “diplomatic” collaboration between the two countries. Edghill said that the funds for the project were secured since 2015 by former President Ramotar.
However, he had explained that there was a delay after the previous administration attempted to award the contract to the highest bidder. This, he said was in breach of Guyana’s and its bilateral partner’s procurement procedures. “…Which was not flying at the procurement levels….You are dealing with a bilateral partner that has processes and they expect that your own processes in your own country will also be followed,” Edghill had said last year.
The MV Kimbia is the vessel that currently plies the North West route.
The government has since signaled its intention to utilize the excess monies from the project to upgrade the stellings that will serve this vessel. The ferry is to be used in the North-Western region as well as the South-Western region of the country up to Kwakwani on the Berbice River. It will be used as a coastal as well as a river service vessel.
