MEMBER of Parliament (MP) Joseph Harmon on Thursday night acknowledged the collaborations between the Governments of Suriname and Guyana to build a bridge across the Corentyne River.And he called for full disclosure of the details of the planned project, given that resources are budgeted to prepare the Bridge terminal.
In his presentation on the 2014 Budget, he said, “An agreement with a foreign state is reached, an unspecified amount is budgeted, work is to commence and the Minister (Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh) has not yet provided the details to the National Assembly.”
According to him, the House has a right to “demand” that the Finance Minister does the right thing.
Corentyne River Bridge
In February this year, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett reported that plans are well underway, in that engineers are currently working on what the bridge will look like in terms of design.
Construction will be funded by the Chinese Government, according to her.
She said, “Guyana, at the request of Suriname, has informed the Chinese Government that we are supportive of the bridge across the Corentyne River.
The Guyana Government has also sent ‘No Objection’ letters to the Foreign Ministries of Suriname and China in support of the construction of the bridge.
In 2010, then President, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo and his Surinamese counterpart, Desi Bouterse, signed an accord for the undertaking of a feasibility study on bridging the Corentyne River, with both countries pledging to pursue a closer working relationship.
During another meeting in Suriname in 2012, Guyana’s President Donald Ramotar and Suriname’s President Bouterse had agreed to move to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to seek joint financing for construction of the bridge. At that meeting, the two Heads reiterated the significance of building the structure, noting that it would considerably enhance trade and economic relations and cultural exchanges between the peoples of the two nations.
The bridge across the Corentyne River has been identified as one of the projects that would further physically integrate the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), of which Guyana is a member. It remains, therefore, a key area of focus for the governments of both countries.
(By Vanessa Narine )