The newly acquired ferry vessel from Greece, renamed MV Konawaruk 1899, sailed its inaugural voyage in Guyana on Friday evening, marking the commencement of its service on the Parika to Supenaam route, which is expected to bolster trade and connectivity between the two locations.
The vessel, then named the MV ARIS IV, was acquired at just under US$5 million.
It is Guyana’s first double-ended ferry and can accommodate 81 cars or 19 European-type trucks (large trucks) and over 300 passengers.
Delivering the feature address at the commissioning ceremony held onboard the vessel on its inaugural trip, Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips noted that the acquisition of this new vessel is a clear recognition by the Guyana Government that the complete physical integration of the country must involve land, sea/river and air.
He stressed that to neglect one is to leave a large section of the Guyanese population and country isolated and disconnected, especially given that countless persons live where the road ends and the river begins.
Developing transport infrastructure
It is for this reason, the PM stated, that almost $10 billion was allocated this year for the development of the country’s river transport infrastructure, which has seen increasing demand as Guyana undergoes unprecedented development countrywide.
“Look at the growing lines that you see on a daily basis at Supenaam and at Parika. More trucks, more cars, more people. That line is not a problem; it is a portrait of a nation on the move. It is proof of commerce stirring, of families connecting, of an economy growing rapidly. We see that portrait, and we are acting to enlarge the frame…”
“The MV Konawaruk 1899 is not just another vessel. It is a direct response to the cries of the marketplace and our pledge to forge a safer, more efficient, and profoundly more reliable transport link between Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara). This vessel will carry more passengers and more vehicles. This vessel is comfort.”
According to PM Phillips, the new ferry will serve as an ‘economic momentum’ by slashing congestion and wait times, thus injecting a direct shot of adrenaline into local commerce.
“It means the farmers’ produce from Region Two reaches the markets of Region Three with its freshness intact and its value undiminished. It means business moves at the speed of opportunity, not the speed of an outdated schedule… The MV Konawaruk 1899 is our answer. It is our investment in perishable goods and in imperishable hope,” he added.
The PM went on to note, however, that the investment in MV Konowaruk 1899 is not a stand-alone or isolated gesture but rather a single star in a constellation of progress that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic regime is painting across the country.
“It is a crucial floating component of our master plan to modernise all of Guyana’s transport infrastructure. It aligns with our work to transform the Parika Ferry Stelling from a simple dock into a modern integrated port hub. A true gateway to our riverine world and to the Caribbean and further afield. With economic activity igniting in every region, from the mining corridors of the hinterland to the agricultural heartlands of the coastline, expanded ferry capacity is no longer a convenience. It is an absolute necessity. It is the key to a balanced development…a new chapter of riverine prosperity,” PM Phillips stated.
Large capacity vessel
Meanwhile, similar sentiments were echoed by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, who posited that while this may be viewed as just a new boat, for the people of the Essequibo Coast, it is a new hope and the major development that will come as a result of the vessel.
Edghill recalled that President Dr Irfaan Ali first saw the need to improve the ferry service to and from the Essequibo Coast. An additional trip was added to the route, and later on another vessel as well as a tugboat to move cargo, but these efforts still proved inadequate.
“With rice being expanded…in the Essequibo Coast and in the islands, there was need for us to be able to be moving more trucks with paddy and rice. And the vessels that we had, they were unable… The President continued to listen to the needs, the dreams, and the aspirations of the people of the Essequibo Coast and said, ‘We have to get another boat.’ Ladies and gentlemen, that vision is what we are standing in this afternoon, making its main official voyage between Parika and Supenaam.”
Given its large capacity, MV Konawaruk 1899 will be able to carry almost double the load of the MV Kanawan and Sabanto ferries that previously serviced that route.
This was welcomed by the Region Three Chairman, Sheikh Ayube, who noted that the new vessel is a demonstration that the Government clearly understands the needs of the people in the country and, more particularly, Regions Two and Three.
He said the vessel will bring prosperity to citizens there by increasing trade between these two regions.
“By now everybody is aware that Region Three is growing at a rapid rate, and it’s providing a lot of goods and services that need to be transported to the Essequibo Coast. And vice versa, a lot of goods comes from Essequibo that service Region Three and other regions. This vessel will indeed enhance trading across this country. It will provide more goods to come, more vehicles to travel,” the Regional Chair stated.
Ayube added that MV Konawaruk 1899 will also enhance the Transport and Harbour Department’s (TH&D) ability to lend better support to Wakenaam and Leguan by easing the pressure from other vessels, thus allowing for improved ferry services in these two islands.
Second vessel to arrive, also from Greece
In fact, Minister Edghill disclosed that the TH&D will be further strengthened with a second vessel to traverse the Northwest District route – which is already being serviced by the three-year-old Indian vessel, MV MA Lisha.
“Good news! In another month, a new vessel will also be arriving from Greece to travel from Georgetown to Region One, adding to the MV MA Lisha,” the public works Minister revealed.
MV Konawaruk 1899
Meanwhile, Director General at the Maritime Administration (MARAD), Stephen Thomas, went on to say, “The commissioning of this vessel sends a clear and unequivocal signal that the Government of Guyana is serious about its commitment to building a modern, stable and internationally compliant maritime transport vessel. This vessel symbolises progress, institutional maturity and a forward-looking approach to national development.”
The MV Konawaruk 1899, which arrived earlier this month on local shores after travelling over 5000 nautical miles from Greece, is 73 metres in length and it has a design draft of two metres, which adequately caters for the depths in the Essequibo River.
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