– Suriname’s Transport Minister Pinas
TRANSPORT and Hydraulics Minister, Robeson Benn notes that Guyana continues to make investments to further develop its air transport sector. His brief remarks were made at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri last Tuesday at a ceremony to inaugurate the return of Surinam Airways to Guyana, when President Desi Bouterse, Head of State of Guyana’s eastern Caricom sister state, arrived on a one-day state visit to Guyana on board the inaugural Surinam Airways flight to Guyana.
Last Tuesday, the Surinamese airline began its non-stop flight from Georgetown to Miami, USA.
Benn said, “We are, of course, very excited; and this occasion is heralded, and its importance is noted by the presence, no less, of the two Presidents of the Republics of Suriname and Guyana.
“We are excited that Surinam Airways has returned to Guyana after an absence of six years. We are excited that we are able to ensure for our Guyanese public, along with the Republic of Suriname, with Surinam Airways – open skies, competitive opportunities to maintain the air bridge to North America, and developing the South-South air linkages into Belem and further afield as we develop,” he said.
“Guyana continues to make large investments in developing its airport infrastructure. We have the new Ogle Airport being developed as a regional hub. We have made large investment here — close to $1B — in developing the tower and the air navigation systems; in modernizing those here at the CJIA,” he said.
He said Government was currently working to build a new airport terminal building, which would extend the size of the current building from 9,000 square metres to 14,000 square metres; and to extend the runway from 7,500 feet to 10,500 feet.
“There is an allocation in our National Budget this year of over $4.5B towards these expansion works, which would see us being able to continue to facilitate the development in the air transport sector in Guyana, and to facilitate the airlines from other countries coming to our country,” he boasted.
Congratulating those who assisted in this endeavour, Benn said “…particularly to wish all those who will partake on these flights, on these services, that we want to ensure that travel is safe, efficient, and cheap enough so that they can be sustainable operations which will redound to the benefit of both countries,” he said.
Suriname Minister of Transport, Industry and Communication, Mr. Falisie Pinas, said, “It is an honour for me to be part of this inaugural flight with our national carrier, Surinam Airways, here at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.”
Declaring that Suriname and Guyana have a long history as neighbouring countries, with frequent contact in trade and cooperation between their peoples, he insisted: “This cooperation has become stronger and stronger.”
He said there is sufficient trade between the two nations, and at this moment, visitors from Guyana are the second largest group visiting Suriname. He outlined that in 2010, approximately 30,000 Guyanese visited Suriname, and last year, 33,000 visited.
With this new route, he said, it is hoped that doors would be open for more Guyanese to visit, and for more trade to take place between the two countries and all other destinations in the world, whereby Suriname and Guyana can be seen as hubs in the region.
“Regional integration and tourism development are two important policy goals of Suriname, and transportation can contribute very well in achieving these goals,” he said.
Additionally, he said that Suriname’s membership and participation in the regional organisations, such as CARICOM, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO), Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), and Association of Caribbean States (ACS), “can benefit from this new route”.
The Surinamese Minister said the country has more to offer than only trade and visiting friends and relatives, and “this is the right moment to create a good basis for further cooperation”.
For the future, he said, Suriname and Guyana will have to find common ground in order to give real meaning to the idea of open skies within the Caribbean, from which all Caribbean economies will benefit.
Minister Pinas said this initiative of Surinam Airways will break ground to reach this goal, and he took the opportunity to thank everyone who was part of this great development within the transportation sector.