Indian govt. seeks tenders for construction of Guyana ferry

Jul 23, 2017 News

The Government of India has already commenced the phase of advertising tenders for the construction of the ocean-going ferry vessel for Guyana. This was according to the Finance Minister Winston Jordan, recently.
The Minister told media operatives that the construction of the ferry – which will ply the Georgetown/Port Kaituma route— will begin as soon as a successful bidder is identified.
The ferry is being constructed via a Line of Credit (LOC) agreement that was signed between the Government of Guyana and the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India last year November.
Jordan signed the agreement on behalf of the government with the resident representative of the Bank in Washington DC, Sailesh Prasad.
The first US$8M will be provided by the Government of India as a grant. Depending on the progress the project makes, the additional US$10M will be disbursed under the LOC.
The acquisition of the new vessel will ensure that the range of social and economic benefits is maximised.
It is expected that the new vessel will also allow for passengers and goods to be moved at affordable prices in a safe, secure and reliable environment.
This new ferry vessel is also pegged to increase efficiency and operations by allowing passengers and freight to be conveyed more swiftly with fewer delays and reduction in travel time.
Jordan, during a previous engagement with the media, had noted that that the acquisition of the vessel will allow for greater market access and will spur increased production, distribution and consumption of goods. This in turn will contribute to the growth and development of the country.
The Minister last week also spoke about the current areas of bilateral cooperation between the two nations.
He spoke about the establishment of a Centre of Excellence which will offer training to professionals in the Public Sector in the areas of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), in order to develop their competences.
Further, the Minister spoke about a previous LOC that was signed between Guyana and the lending institution for the acquisition of mobile and fixed drainage pumps for Georgetown and its environs.
Other areas of assistance being provided by the Government of India include the provision of renewable energy equipment in the form of a rice-husk gasifier and the continued training of Guyanese human resources in the relevant specialised fields.

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