Latest update April 7th, 2025 12:08 AM
APNU demands that NICIL and Brassington be excluded from new Harbour Bridge project
The absence of adequate information on the Corentyne River Bridge project between the Governments of Guyana and Suriname is a clear example of the contempt which Dr. Ashni Singh, Minister of Finance has for the National Assembly.
This is according to Joseph Harmon, A Partnership for National Unity’s Parliamentarian during his budget debate presentation on Thursday last.
Head of NICIL
Winston Brassington
Referring to Dr. Singh’s Budget speech, Harmon said an undisclosed sum of resources is budgeted to prepare the bridge terminal and yet no details of the project have been provided to the National Assembly.
According to Dr. Singh, “Government has collaborated with the Surinamese Government for the construction of the fixed bridge over the Corentyne River. Resources are budgeted to upgrade the road link from Springlands to Moleson Creek and to prepare the bridge terminal facility.”
The other bridge project Government will be undertaking in the near future is the construction of a new Demerara Harbour Bridge.
According to Dr. Singh, the feasibility study for the new Demerara Bridge has been completed, and Government has invited expressions of interest for a public-private partnership for its construction. In the interim, Government has budgeted $338M for critical works to extend the life of the existing Demerara Harbour Bridge.
According to Harmon, APNU is aware of the condition of the Demerara Harbour Bridge and the staff of the entity under Mr. Rawlston Adams leadership should be congratulated for keeping that bridge afloat.
“Time has run out on that bridge and the regular patching would not extend the life of the bridge significantly given the volume and weight of traffic on it on a daily basis,” he added.
As such, APNU urges Government to expedite the works on the new bridge but is demanding the establishment of a Bridge Authority. This Authority will be tasked will dealing with all issues related to the bridge. In addition, APNU wants neither Winston Brassington nor NICIL to be part of the new bridge arrangement.
Further addressing bridges infrastructure, Harmon said that the Berbice River Bridge toll has been a drag on the citizens of Guyana, but more particularly residents of Berbice, who are forced to cross the bridge on a regular basis.
Joseph Harmon
“After taking millions of dollars of money from NIS, the nation’s social safety net, to invest in the Berbice River Bridge, the comrades on the other side of the House by themselves, their servants, agents or assignees allowed for the Berbice Bridge Company to set a toll which can only be seen as taking from the poor to give to the rich- reverse robin hood,” he said.
Harmon stressed that Government has further facilitated a deferral of payment of dividends to the NIS in preference to other shareholders in the Bridge Company. He demanded a reduction in tolls being paid and pointed to a motion filed in the House by APNU to lower the toll to ease the burden on the poor.
He related that during August 1 to August 12, 2013 Government had lowered the toll. However, that coincided with the same period the PPP/C held Congress in Berbice. In addition, it only benefited a few and possibly those attending the Congress.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Anticipation without preparation
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The Vice President of Guyana, ever the sagacious observer of the inevitable, has reassured... more
The U.S. “Joining” the Commonwealth: an unreasonable expectation
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- Recent media stories have suggested that King Charles III could “invite” the United... more
Weekend Cartoon
