Govt. to make final payment for US$12.7M North West ferry this year

Jan 20, 2024 News

The new $2.5 billion (US$12.7 million) MV Lisha which was built in India

Kaieteur News – This year, the Government of Guyana (GoG) will make its final payment for the US$12.7 million ($2.5 billion) MV MA Lisha ferry that plies the Georgetown to Barima-Waini route. This was revealed in the 2024 budget estimates.

Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, told the National Assembly on Monday that the ferry was commissioned last year.

The sum of $405 million has been budgeted, for rehabilitation works for the MV Malali, MV Makouria and MV Barima. The minister also said that works advanced on the Bartica, Goods Wharf, Kumaka, Morawhanna and Port Kaituma stellings in 2023. These projects are slated to be completed in 2024. Also, this year, rehabilitation works on stellings including those at Parika, Supenaam and Wakenaam will be undertaken. The sum of $2.7 billion is allocated to execute those works.

According to the budget estimates document, the sum of $2.9 billion has been allocated this year for the final payment of the Indian vessel, the completion of Goods Wharf and stellings at Port Kaituma, Kumaka and Morawhanna, and also the provision for vessels.

The US$12.7 million ferry can accommodate 250 revenue paying passengers, 12 Sedan type vehicles and two trucks. MV MA Lisha was built by Indian company, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited and has special features to mitigate challenges faced by travelers. It had arrived in Guyana back in April 2023.

The government was able to acquire this vessel via a loan it obtained from the Indian government. Part of the loan condition was that the MV Ma Lisha had to be built in India. The deal was signed in 2021 with the Indian company.

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Budget 2024, ferry, India, loan, MV Lisha, Region One

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