Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill said the PPP/C Administration has invested substantially in the Maritime Sector since returning to office in August 2020.
His statement was in direct response to opposition Member of Parliament, Amanza Walton-Desir, who in a recent online statement, alleged that Guyana lacks Marine Spatial Planning, a situation that has caused Guyanese to suffer because of the unscheduled closure of the Demerara Harbour Bridge, due to a recent marine accident.
Addressing the claims by the MP, Minister Edghill said among investments made by the government was the certification and appointment of nine new pilots to conduct ships in the Georgetown pilotage district.
Additionally, five new inspectors of shipping were appointed to inspect and certify vessels operating in Guyana.
He said the maritime department is cognisant that more manpower is needed in the sector to meet the exponential growth. As such, it is finalising plans to train scores of young men and women as cadets as ship officers, pilots, inspectors, surveyors, marine communications officers, among other positions.
To safeguard national infrastructure, he explained that MARAD’s pilots are also now required to be on all seagoing vessels transiting the retractor span of the Demerara Harbour Bridge.
To accompany this growing demand for pilotage services, a total of $530 million was expended towards the acquisition of a new pilot boat – ML ABDULLAH.
“While port infrastructure is mainly privately driven, the Government of Guyana has rendered tremendous support, having recognised the importance of ensuring that our ports are resilient,” the minister said in his response.
Further, the government’s recognition of the demand for port facilities in Guyana and the strain placed on Port Georgetown has led to repeated declarations of its intention to develop a deep-water port in the Berbice River.
Concomitantly, MARAD and other regulatory agencies are currently processing several applications for the construction of port facilities, the minister noted.
Auxiliary to its plans to enhance the maritime sector, the central government allocated $117 million for the construction of 15 concrete beacons marking rocks in the upper reaches of the Essequibo River. The project is still underway, but so far, 11 beacons have been built.
He said MARAD has been constantly executing the Commonwealth Marine Economy Plan and is in constant contact with the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO), which has been lending support to Guyana.
Minister Edghill said it is no secret that the damage caused by the Motor Tanker Tradewind Passion on Saturday, October 8, inconvenienced the entire country. He explained that the government inherited a Demerara Harbour Bridge that was on the verge of collapse. Since assuming office in 2020, billions of dollars have been poured into the bridge to keep it afloat and operational.
He said the government is not ignorant of the importance and intricacies of the maritime sector. In fact, since taking office, it has made it its duty to transform the sector to ensure it is prepared to operate in a modern economy.
“It, therefore, cannot be said that issues surrounding the maritime space are not being addressed,” Minister Edghill said.
