Delay in speedboat waterfront project puts Supenaam residents in discomfort

Jan 07, 2019 News

The residents of Supenaam on the Essequibo Coast, continue to express their frustration over the delay of the Supenaam waterfront project.

Some of the stalls under construction.

Reports reaching this publication indicate that the project which is estimated at some $34 M, is supposed to be completed by the end of this month.
Based on the current rate of work, however, the project will clearly miss its deadline. This is according to councilor of the Regional Democratic Council [RDC], Arnold Adams. Kaieteur News understands that the Supenaam/Speedboat landing will include designated stands for vending, along with seating accommodation for passengers. The project also catered for a special ramp, which will be constructed for persons with special disabilities, along with a parking lot for general purpose.
The Good Hope/Pomona NDC temporarily relocated stall holders to a wharf, west of the construction site, about four months ago. Water taxi operators were also relocated to the vendor’s wharf. Hire car drivers on the other hand were relocated further north of the wharf, away from the construction site.
Over the four months period, those who were relocated have grown quite impatient, according to Adams. He also claims that passengers who normally ply the Essequibo River via the water taxis, have difficulty boarding the water taxis, since the wharf presently in use was not designed for water taxis. Water taxi operators claim that there has been a tremendous decline in business.
According to Adams, there is a slow implementation of the project, allegedly because the Ministry has been making several changes to the design. “When they come back they keep telling us we have some changes. They said that they will come back and keep consultations with the vendors, but yet they start building some small things and the vendors already complaining that it has inadequate space and can’t even hold a freezer.”
This publication understands that while the project is being executed directly by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, a committee was set up by the RDC to monitor the project. Arnold Adams was then appointed as the deputy Chairman of the said committee.
Adams explained that while there needs to be a multi stakeholder approach, he was verbally insulted by a junior Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure while monitoring the project. According to Adams, “the minister said, you come out here again, this is ministry project what you doing here.”

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