Government still awaiting IDB funding for study on Corentyne River Bridge – Ramotar

Apr 13, 2013 News

President Donald Ramotar told the private sector in Berbice recently about major infrastructural projects, including that of the Corentyne River Bridge, which should link Guyana and Suriname.
Last February, during a one-day visit by President Ramotar to Paramaribo, he and his Surinamese counterpart, Desi Bouterse, discussed the massive project.

President Donald Ramotar

Guyana and Suriname were expected to approach the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for financing the project.
The two heads of state reiterated the importance of the construction of the bridge across the Corentyne River. It would considerably enhance trade and economic relations as well as cultural exchanges between the peoples of the two countries, they said.
They decided on a joint approach to the IDB for the purpose of identifying modalities for financing.
President Ramotar told the private sector in Berbice that both [Guyana and Suriname] governments have approached the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and “they will finance a study first about the feasibility of this bridge across the [Corentyne] river, so we have to wait.”
“We have both approached the IDB and we’re engaging discussions with them and we have to wait until this study is finished until we can move to the next stage of physically constructing the bridge”.
President Ramotar did not want to commit to a time frame “because this does not only depend on me, but [on] areas outside [of] Guyana.”