– Surinamese Justice Minister
IN order to promote safer travel via the back track route from Guyana to Suriname, the Surinamese Government has put forward a project proposal for better control mechanisms which formed part of discussions earlier yesterday.
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee and Suriname’s Minister of Justice and Police Chandrikapersaud Santoki met earlier yesterday at the Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, to discuss several issues of concern to both nations.
Minister Santoki stated that an examination was done of the situation regarding the back track route, which showed that on a daily basis there are between 350-400 persons using that route to cross the border.
He pointed out that both Guyana and Suriname are members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and that the CARICOM policy on the movement of people and goods is that there should be free movement of people and pointed out that there should be control mechanisms.
“Our feeling is that the back track route on the Surinamese side should be institutionalized; that means that we should put the control mechanisms in place – immigration, custom, agriculture and that all those boats which are used should be licensed and should be subjective to security conditions and security measures,” Minister Santoki said.

He pointed out that to achieve this objective, cooperation is needed from both Governments since they both need to know who is using the crossing and their reason for crossing.

“Therefore our suggestion is to put that topic on this agenda and I have already sent the project dossier for my colleague and we are already working to set up those mechanisms and we have done the infrastructure already. This year we will start the establishment of effort, the effectiveness of the functioning would depend also on the cooperation we will manage to arrange with my colleague Rohee,” he said.

He pointed out that the ‘back track’ route cannot function effectively by one nation and noted that Suriname will be implementing one of the provisions of CARICOM to ensure free movement of people. The Dutch nation will be implementing the CARIPASS, the Regional Travel card that gives persons the freedom to move freely in the CARICOM region.

Noting that the Surinamese Government’s policy regarding the Kanawaima is very distinctive, Minister Santoki pointed out that the vessel will remain the formal route between the two countries for traffic of vehicles and persons with cargo. He stated that the route from Nickerie to South Drain is fully asphalted.

The Surinamese Minister stated that the function of the back track route is for the movement of persons with hand luggage visiting the neighbouring areas.
“This is normal in a country, in two countries bordering each other and which is happening everywhere. It is also happening on the east side of Suriname between Suriname and French Guiana but you need to have a strong security control, you need to protect also the travellers on those small vessels, you need to subject all these people to security conditions and security measures and that will have a better control from both governments and you will have safe travel but you will also have a good oversight of what is going on,” he said