THE following is the full text of the press release issued by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA):

“The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) is deeply concerned by the

imposition of fees on Guyanese operators for the use of the Corentyne River and calls for

the immediate reversal of these charges.

For decades, Guyana and Suriname have shared a history of commercial engagement,

cross-border trade, and people-to-people ties that have supported livelihoods,

encouraged enterprise and strengthened regional co-operation. Businesses on both sides

have long benefited from a relationship built on cooperation, mutual access, and a spirit

of neighbourly partnership. A move that introduces costs and restrictions into that

relationship represents a troubling step backward.

The imposition of these fees threatens to increase the cost of doing business for Guyanese

operators, particularly those involved in trade, transport, timber, quarrying, and other

economic activity linked to the Corentyne. Such measures not only affect individual

businesses but also have wider implications for border communities, supply chains, and

investment confidence between Guyana and Suriname.

Guyana and Suriname must continue to pursue closer economic collaboration, not

policies that restrict movement and make cross-border trade more costly and uncertain.

We therefore urge the relevant authorities in Suriname to reconsider and reverse these

fees in the interest of preserving goodwill, supporting regional business development, and

maintaining the longstanding spirit of cooperation between our two countries.

The GMSA remains supportive of constructive dialogue and diplomatic engagement

between governments to ensure that this matter is resolved quickly and amicably, in a

manner that protects trade, livelihoods, and the future of Guyana-Suriname economic

relations.”