Ali sidesteps concerns about new Berbice River Bridge

Aug 29, 2024 News

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…launches political attack instead

Kaieteur News – In a recent outreach to Region Six, President Irfaan Ali sidestepped concerns raised by the Alliance For Change (AFC) regarding the proposed new Berbice River Bridge, opting instead to accuse the opposition party of hypocrisy and obstructionism.

This response came after the AFC called for transparency of a feasibility study and justification before the government proceeds with the bridge project, which could have significant financial implications for Guyanese taxpayers.

According to a video posted on Facebook, during the outreach, President Ali, accompanied by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond, criticised the AFC for raising concerns on the new bridge. Instead of directly addressing the concerns about the bridge’s potential cost which could be around US$260 million, feasibility, and impact, the President launched into a critique of the AFC’s past actions, particularly their handling of the sugar industry during their time in government.

“Look at the hypocrites that we have in AFC. You know, when we were in opposition, when they shut down, all the sugar estates in Region Six and across the country, close to 8000 people directly lost their jobs, most of whom are from Region Six,” the head-of-state said in a video shared on social media. He continued, “and today, the same people, it’s not feasibility study that they want for Berbice Bridge again…”

He went on to accuse the AFC of attempting to stymie development in regions where they believe investments could be seen as political moves. “But inherently, these hypocrites can’t help themselves, anything developmental they gotta stop, anything in certain regions, they have to stop. They believe that any investment in these regions is a political investment and then they try to lie to the people.”

President Ali assured the public that the new Berbice River Bridge would be built, promising that it would bring significant benefits to commuters and the region’s economy. “But I’ll make sure the Berbice River Bridge will be done, and the and the commuters very shortly with a series of announcements, a series of intervention we will make to make it more competitive, less costly, more efficient and we already said Berbice is going to be a major industrial area,” Ali said.

Ali contended that the AFC does not care about the development of the country and is only interested in “political expediency.” “The people of Region Six must ask themselves, why is it this same group of people, again, are trying to block a four lane bridge across the Berbice River that will help them, that will work 24 hours, improve efficiency, and that will create the opportunity for the expansion of trade, improvement of competitiveness, creation of jobs, and the build out of what we’re going to see in Region Six,” he added.

AFC Concerns

In their statement on Monday the AFC made it clear that while they are not opposed to development and modernisation, they insist on responsible governance when it comes to large-scale public expenditure. The party called on the government to release any pre-feasibility studies that have informed the decision to move forward with the bridge project. They also stressed the importance of conducting a comprehensive feasibility study and an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) before proceeding with any further developments.

According to reports the current Berbice River Bridge, which was constructed between 2006 and 2008 at a cost of $8 billion, received financial backing through loans and equity contributions from various entities, including the state-run National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and private investors. It must be noted that the bulk of the money invested in the Berbice Bridge came from NIS. Sharing ownership percentages in the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BBCI): National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL) holds 10 percent, NIS owns 20.2 percent, and other stakeholders include Hand-in-Hand Fire Insurance (10 percent), New GPC (20 percent), Queens Atlantic Investment Inc. (20 percent), and Secure International Finance Co. Limited (20 percent).

One of the AFC’s main concerns is the current Berbice Bridge, which operates under a concessional agreement that extends until 2030. The party questioned whether the government plans to prematurely terminate this agreement and, if so, what compensation would be provided to the Berbice Bridge Company.

The AFC also highlighted the financial difficulties previously faced by the Berbice Bridge Company, which had claimed it was operating at a loss. The party reminded that in 2018, the company attempted to raise tolls fourfold- a move that was blocked by the AFC. The party said that it is concerned that the government’s announcement of a new bridge could lead to further legal disputes.

Moreover, the AFC stated that there were doubts about the feasibility of the existing Berbice Bridge, adding, “The then-PPP government resorted to a controversial public-private partnership (PPP) model, aspects of which are still under judicial review.” As such, the party urged the government to avoid repeating past mistakes by ensuring that the new project is based on solid, transparent, and publicly available data.

They questioned whether the decision to build a new bridge might be based on flawed assumptions, pointing out that the current administration has recently acknowledged the infeasibility of other large-scale projects, such as a deep-water harbour and an oil refinery. The AFC questions whether a similar assessment has been conducted for this bridge, and if not, why the project is being pursued.

The party also noted that key details, such as the location of the proposed bridge and the anticipated toll rates, have not yet been disclosed. They highlighted that these factors are crucial, as they will directly affect the livelihoods of those who rely on the bridge for daily commutes.

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• Alliance For Change (AFC), Berbice River Bridge, CONCERNS, President Irfaan Ali, sidesteps

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