Georgetown: With talks ongoing for the development of a deep water harbour in Berbice, President Donald Ramotar said Guyana could become a maritime hub for the Caribbean and South America.
Ramotar, at the time, was addressing supporters in Bush Lot, Berbice, during one of the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) campaign meetings. He told the gathering that the construction of the deep water port is not an option, but a necessity, if Guyana wants to remain on the international trade market.
“We have to build a deep water harbour. The Panama Canal is expanding. Soon the 5000 tons and 1000 tons ships will be a thing of the past,” he explained.
The Panama Canal Expansion Project is intended to double the capacity of the Panama Canal by creating a new lane of traffic and allowing more and larger ships to transit.
Industry experts believe that the expansion of the Panama Canal will open a new phase for the transhipment in the Caribbean. In recent years, an active transhipment market has emerged in Panama and the Caribbean. This growth in Caribbean transhipment has been related to economic development.
According to Ramotar, if Guyana succeeds in establishing a deep water harbour in Berbice, it can pave the way for massive economic development within the country.
He pointed out that, once the Linden-Lethem road project is completed, North Brazil can conduct all of its international trade from Guyana, not only boosting the economy, but enhancing tourist potential in Guyana.
A Chinese-owned firm, the Chinese State Construction Engineering Company (Latin American and Caribbean), was scheduled to arrive in Guyana on Monday to conduct a preliminary study on the possibilities of constructing a deepwater harbour near the Berbice River mouth. They have not yet arrived.
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