–President Ali notes, says consortium working with shippers’ association on plan

AS Guyana eyes enhancing the country’s role as a trans-shipment hub in the region, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said that talks are underway to develop a solid proposal for the establishment of a deep-water port here.
This was highlighted by the Head of State during a recent engagement with members of the media, where he noted that shipping and logistics in the Caribbean remain a major problem.
In Guyana’s context, Dr. Ali indicated that the difficulty is the country’s reliance on transshipment as a result of not having a deep-water port.

He noted that this is so, because the Demerara River is inefficient, as it has a seven-meter draft at the top of the tide. However, at least an eight-meter drop at the bottom of the tide is needed to facilitate 24-hour use.
As such, he posited that the channel cannot allow 24-hour use, and there is not enough space for containerised cargo, and this is an issue that the private sector is facing.
“So, we are working on that now. …We will have a consortium working with the Guyana Shippers Association to come up with a plan as to how we can keep the draft at seven meters, at least, at the bottom of the tide, so you can have 24-hour use of the channel,” President Ali said, adding that by mid-January, there should be a strong and firm proposal in place that will be able to address the issue.

As he went on to say, while Guyana has to build up its efficiency, the private sector also has to be more efficient in the development of the proposal.
“This also points to the need, because, by the time we integrate that road with northern Brazil, you will definitely need that deep-water harbour sooner than later,” President Ali said, adding:
“So, we are working on that new phase of investment; a new phase of infrastructure that is critical to deal with this.”

The proposed deep-water port is not just a stand-alone project, but a key component of Guyana’s broader vision to integrate with northern Brazil.

Earlier this year, Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo noted that by developing a port that can handle large vessels, Guyana aims to become a central player in regional trade, facilitating the movement of goods between South America and global markets like the Panama Canal.
At the time, he’d noted that several proposals had been received, and would have all had to be compared against one another to then assess which of them was the best, and whether the proposed developers have the expertise to implement the project.
“We believe the best model should be going out right into the deep; that would allow the largest vessels in the world to come here. That would be, in the long-run, the most sustainable thing to do, because you’d avoid a lot of the dredging costs and everything else,” Dr. Jagdeo had said at the time.
The deepwater port is expected to significantly reduce the cost of shipping for Guyanese exports, thus making them more competitive on the global market.
It will also lower the cost of imported goods, thereby benefitting consumers and businesses alike.