Govt. to spend $2.6B to upgrade two interior ferry stellings

Feb 28, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – To accommodate the new US$12.7M MV Ma Lisha ferry that is scheduled to arrive in Guyana from India soon, the Ministry of Public Works is preparing to spend an estimated $2,688,076,915 to upgrade the Morawhanna and Kumaka Stellings that are located in Region One.

The Ministry is seeking contractors to submit tenders for the projects.  According to an advertisement, the Ministry is estimating that $1,903,322,161 would cost to retrofit the stelling at Kumaka while $784,754,754 is pegged for the works at Morawhanna.

Bidding which will be done through the National Competitive Bidding procedures would see the projects being opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) on March 15, 2023.

Kaieteur News had reported that the Ministry is planning to upgrade a number of stellings to accommodate the ferry when it arrives. Additionally, works will be done on the structures at Mabaruma, Port Kaituma and the Kingston Goods Wharf.

Already, the Ministry signed a contract worth $1,056,452,458 to have the Kingston Goods wharf rehabilitated.

The newly built ocean-going passenger and cargo ferry called MV Ma Lisha which has set sail for Guyana.

The US$12.7 million new passenger and cargo ferry is scheduled to arrive in Guyana soon. The vessel was built by Gardens Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) as part of the Government of India’s Line of Credit-cum-Grant project. The vessel is slated to ply the Georgetown to North-West route when it arrives in the country.

The ferry which measures 70 metres long was designed by the in house GRSE team. The vessel is being propelled by two caterpillar engines and twin gear boxes to achieve a maximum speed of 15 knots. It is designed to carry 294 persons, 14 vehicles, two fully-loaded trucks, and 10 containers. It has a capacity of 250 tons and complies with all international regulations.

Besides upgrading the wharves, the Ministry had recently sent 10 employees from the Transport and Harbours Department for training related to the new ferry.

• Kumaka, Morawhanna, MV Ma Lisha ferry, stellings, US$12.7M