Construction of the first phase of transforming the Parika Stelling into an international port facility is expected to begin before July, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali said on Friday.
Speaking during a community engagement at the Hydronie Market in Region Three, President Ali said the Expression of Interest (EoI) for the project will close on 2 May, paving the way for construction to begin shortly thereafter.
“On May 2nd, the Expression of Interest for an important project will close,” he said. “We are going to launch the first phase of converting Parika Stelling into a port that will ship directly to the region. We hope that construction on the first phase will commence long before July.”
The President described the port development as a major step towards streamlining regional trade and boosting exports across the Caribbean.
“What is that project? It is one of the most transformative projects for these islands, Parika and for every single farmer and shipper,” President Ali emphasised.
To date, the government has invested $46.6 million to rehabilitate the Parika Stelling. The upgrades have improved docking services for regional ferries, increased parking space, and enhanced speedboat operations along the Essequibo and Demerara river routes.
Ali said the new international port would be supported by significant infrastructure upgrades, including customs, immigration, and security services.
“To support the port, we also have to invest in key infrastructure here so that you will have customs and immigration. You will also have a modern fire service, a modern coast guard, [and] a modern police service,” he said.
The facility will also include state-of-the-art storage and processing infrastructure, with cold storage capabilities to increase the shelf life of agricultural produce.
In addition to trade, the port will support tourism through cruise ship docking and marina services.
“The investments that we are making in the port facility will also bring with it a marina. A marina so that we can have boats utilising the marina to support the tourism sector so that you would have sailing in the Essequibo River,” the President said.
The initiative is backed by the Ministry of Public Works’ $9.9 billion river transport budget. (Modified from DPI)
President Ali speaking at the community meeting(DPI photo)
