-Minister Edghill says

MINISTER of Public Works, Juan Edghill, has noted that the Indian-built MV Ma Lisha vessel, which is expected to ply the Georgetown to North West District route is “fit for purpose” as it was designed with specifications that would greatly aid in cutting down the transit time by half.

The Public Works Minister during a media briefing on Monday noted that the vessel which is just about 70 per cent complete is also being built with specifications that are best suited for the specific type of terrain that it would have to travel through regularly.

He noted that government sees the investment as necessary and life-changing for the people of the North West District.

“This boat is designed to leave Georgetown, get out into the Atlantic and it must get into the North West region at Morawhanna, Kumaka, and Port Kaituma. So, it has to be built with specifications to deal with conditions in those areas,” he stated.

Minister Edghill added that while there were concerns about the appearance of the vessel during its launch in Kolkata, India, recently, it still has to undergo several changes, upgrades, and inclusions before it is ready to depart for Guyana.

He said that it is on schedule for an October 2022 completion date, after which the massive vessel would make the approximately 60-day journey.

The Public Works Minister noted that upon completion, the vessel would be able to transport 294 persons inclusive of 18 crew members; 14 Sedan-type vehicles, and two trucks simultaneously. This, he highlighted, represented a massive change from the current vessels that operate in the transit route, which has the capacity to carry just two vehicles.

He also noted that the boat will have the capacity to also carry 10, 10 by 10 containers.

The Public Works Minister stated that this new vessel is set to have a major impact on the business community in Region One, as it will allow for not just faster transport time of their products and produce, but will also see a significant reduction in transport costs.

He said that as part of the government’s plans to retrofit the vessel to the needs of the people of the region, a cold room will also be added to it.

This cold room, according to Edghill, could be used by all produce transporters to keep their produce fresh for the duration of the trip. He noted that these added benefits could boost agricultural production within the region.

“With a vessel that is able to bring out at a faster rate product, people will go back to farming; people don’t want to plant their plantains and pumpkins and its rotting on a wharf because there is no boat to bring it. We can go back into the planting of the ginger and all those things we used to see… and of course, this fits directly into President Ali’s plan as the leading light in terms of agriculture in CARICOM by reducing our import bill,” he added.

Minister Edghill said that the government has put systems in place to ensure the proper use of the vessel. He disclosed that government plans to send two 10-person teams to India in a matter of months to help prepare them for the proper use of the vessel, as well as proper maintenance practices.

These persons include the captains and the mechanical and engineering teams that will be responsible for the upkeep of the multimillion-dollar investment.

The minister also disclosed that the four stellings to which the boat will provide transport, will undergo facelifts to ensure that they can facilitate the “roll-on, roll-off” system that will be used.

He reminded that while the boat will utilise this system, the option for side-boarding will also be available to ensure that there will be no difficulty getting vehicles on or off the vessel at any time.