“Game changer” – Edghill on new $2.5B North West ferry

The $2.5 billion MV Ma Lisha that will now service the route between Georgetown and North West has been viewed as a “game changer” in river transport, and Government has positioned that it got real value for the investment.
On Friday, a luncheon was organised at the Pegasus Hotel for the successful delivery of the MV Ma Lisha.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill has promised that it is the first of several vessels that will be added to the local fleet. The vessel was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited under a Government of India-funded US$12.77 million Grant/Line of Credit line.
“We went ahead and we docked and repaired the MV Kimbia, the MV Barima. Right now, we’re getting ready for the MV Sandaka to get in for docking. So, we are repairing the old and making it more efficient, but we’re also modernising. The MV Ma Lisha is just the first of many vessels that we will have to have,” Edghill expressed.
Earlier this month, the vessel arrived in Port Georgetown, after it sailed from Kolkata to Chennai and then made its way through the Atlantic Ocean to Trinidad.
This new North West bound ferry has a capacity of up to 276 passengers, along with 18 crew members and also carries 14 sedan-type vehicles and two trucks. It can also accommodate up to 250 tonnes of cargo with cold storage facilities.
It also comprises a front loading/offloading ramp that can accommodate easy loading and discharging of cargo at ports she will call on. The vessel also has a side boarding capacity. A total of 19 navigational, mechanical, and auxiliary staff of the Transport and Harbours Department were trained in India in 2022 and earlier this year, to operate the new ferry vessel.
Edghill said the vessel is a game changer for water transport in Guyana. Travel time will reduce while the carrying capacity is also enhanced significantly.
“It means that we could build greater volume and we’ll be able to reduce the price of goods that are taken up to meet in one for consumption. And it means also where people have waited a while to get back to farming in large scale because the products will be able to meet markets into Georgetown and beyond in record time.”
Minister within the Public Works Ministry Deodat Indar noted that vessels are operating at clockwork in riverine routes amid the increased economic activities in the country. With cargo now being able to be transported through cold storage arrangements, freight costs incurred is expected to go down.
“The cold storage is very important because a lot of time, you can’t take stuff up because of the cold storage. The people normally take it through flights and it costs them more simply because of the flight costs. Now, there will be a rebalancing of some of those things because people can move that cargo through that cold storage,” Indar shared.
Emphasising that it is a good value for investment, Indar said these standards must be maintained.
MV Ma Lisha will also have an online booking system since this process has proven useful to commuters. Since Ferry Pass has been introduced, travel numbers have been enhanced.
Project Manager Patrick Thompson expressed that MV Ma Lisha is ready to service Guyanese between the North West and Georgetown.
“This is an exciting moment for all of us. This new ferry will play a crucial a crucial role in enhancing transportation trade and tourism between Georgetown, and the North West.”
Over $2 billion will be expended for works at Kingston, Port Kaituma, Morawhanna and Mabaruma ports to accommodate the new vessel. Consultancy services have also been approved to supervise these projects.
“While we are modernising the acquiring of vessels, we are modernising the terminals. We also have to improve the settings and the facilities,” the Public Works Minister determined. (G12)