Guyana waiting to resume talks with Suriname on Corentyne River Bridge

The Guyana Government is currently awaiting its Dutch neighbour, Suriname, to settle its post-elections politics in order to continue discussions on the highly-anticipated Corentyne River Bridge, which will link the two South American nations.
Addressing a Jamaican Business Delegation that was recently in Guyana to explore business opportunities here, Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, outlined the heavy investments currently being made to enhance not just internal infrastructure but also transport infrastructure aimed at increasing trade with neighbouring countries like Suriname.
“We’re also building a bridge to Suriname… We haven’t started the bridge but we’re in the advanced stage of discussions with our Surinamese counterparts on building the bridge. Of course, Suriname has had an election recently and so once things settle over there, we can resume those discussions,” Dr Singh stated at the Business Forum held on Friday last in Georgetown.
Only last month, Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi announced that the sod-turning ceremony for the new Corentyne River Bridge will be done in a few weeks, paving the way for improved connectivity and trade between Guyana and Suriname. President Santokhi made this remark in Georgetown at a launch event for the Surinamese state-owned company, NV Grassalco Guyana based subsidiary Guysure Aggregate and Sands Incorporate (Guysure ASI), sales office here.
During his May 19 visit, the Surinamese leader was also scheduled to turn the sod for the highly anticipated Corentyne River Bridge, however the ceremony had been delayed. “We were planning today, this event and the groundbreaking ceremony on the bridge that we are planning a joint activity. But unfortunately, I think the groundbreaking ceremony will need some more time, more in terms of weeks than months, but it will come,” the Surinamese President had assured.
The high-span Corentyne River bridge will run approximately 3.1 kilometres (km) connecting Moleson Creek in Guyana to South Drain in Suriname with a landing on Long Island in the Corentyne River, where a commercial hub and tourist destination will be established. That free zone will see major infrastructural development such as hotels, recreational parks, entertainment spots, tourist attractions, malls, and farmers’ markets.
This bridge project is one of the first agreements between Presidents Ali and Santokhi, with both leaders previously underscoring the critical role the bridge across the Corentyne River would play in advancing cooperation, creating more opportunities for development for both countries.
Meanwhile, both Guyana and Suriname have settled on Chinese construction company, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), as the preferred contractor to build the new bridge.
However, it is unclear whether the contract has been signed.
Back in October 2024, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had told Guyana Times that the contract between the contractor and the two countries would be signed as soon as the financing mechanism for the bridge is sorted out.
Both Guyana and Suriname had written the Government of China for financing of the bridge project.
Guyana Times was previously told by a senior Guyana Government official that the Chinese Government is willing to fund the project given its close bilateral relations with both Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States.
However, the issue lies in Suriname’s economic situation. As part of its economic recovery programme, the Surinamese Government signed a structural adjustment programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to restore its macroeconomic stability. But this programme makes it difficult for the Dutch-speaking country to take out loans, hence the snag in the process of securing financing for the bridge project. Both Guyana and Suriname are meant to share the cost of the bridge construction in a 50-50 arrangement.
Last year, President Santokhi had admitted to the challenges his country faces when it comes to securing the financing for the Corentyne River Bridge project.
“You know, our case is little bit different because we are bind by the IMF Fund programme so we cannot take the loan. So, we need to be very pragmatic in this,” the Surinamese President had told reporters in February 2024 on the sidelines of the CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in Georgetown.