Parika re-imagined: New Parika port facility expected to be lifeline for commerce, trade

As the Guyana Government work on transforming the Parika ferry stelling into a modern, state-of-the-art port and waterfront development, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips, says this new facility will become a major hub for not just transport but also trade and commerce.

He made these remarks on Friday evening during the commissioning of the newly acquired M.V. Konawaruk 1899 – a US$5 million ferry vessel that has already commenced servicing the Parika to Supenaam route.
According to the Prime Minister, “Parika is being transformed before your very eyes. You’re not just standing at a stelling or sailing in a boat now to the other side of the Essequibo River. You’re standing at a threshold. A bold new future awaits Parika – a future we’re not merely predicting but actively constructing.”
He pointed out that in the next five years, the Parika area will be completely transformed from a critical crossing point into a modern, dynamic gateway into the future of Guyana as well as a strategic gateway to the Caribbean and a launching gateway to markets further afield.
“We will construct a new Parika Ferry Stelling and Waterfront Development. We will not just repair, we will reimagine. We envision Parika not as a waiting room but as a dynamic regional command centre for commerce, and regional and international trade…”
“Parika is being re-imagined and reborn. It will no longer be a place you pass through but a destination you connect to. This is our pledge. Parika will stand as a major port of regional significance, a major hub of integrated transport and an indispensable lifeline for the commerce and trade that will power Guyana’s prosperity for generations to come,” PM Phillips stated.

Contract awarded
Back in June, a contract was awarded for the first phase of the new US$20 million Parika Ferry Stelling and Waterfront Development Project. Phase one of this project includes foundation works and river defence, totalling more than $4.5 billion.
Those works are progressing steadily. During a site visit back in October, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had noted that the pace of work will accelerate in the coming months.
Executing the first phase of works are contractors Gaico Construction, Toolsie Persaud Limited, and A&S General Contractors.
Before the project design was greenlighted, consultations were held with all stakeholders, including farmers, minibus drivers, taxi drivers, boat operators, and businesses, essentially all agencies that currently operate from the area.
The minister pledged that engagement will continue with stakeholders as works accelerate, which will require major adjustments to daily operations at the stelling. These include the relocation of speedboats that are often parked or left at the wharf for days.

Second phase
In phase two of the project, a marina, for yachts arriving from the Caribbean and elsewhere, will be established. Additionally, the entire waterfront will also be developed for entertainment and restaurants, providing tourists access to Essequibo’s rich, untapped beauty and biodiversity.
The modern international port facility at Parika is one of several critical transport upgrades being implemented nationwide to support Guyana’s economic expansion, regional connectivity and tourism development.
In June, President Irfaan Ali had disclosed that the Parika Port will have cold storage facilities and a packaging house, helping the facility to serve a vital function for the farmers of Region Three and providing a launching pad to export produce directly to the Caribbean.
Funds were set aside in the Public Works Ministry’s $9.9 billion River Transport budget for this initiative.

Continued dredging works
Additionally, monies were also earmarked to support the dredging of the Demerara River channels to ensure safe passage of larger ships, as well as the removal of wrecks and obstructions from the Demerara and Essequibo rivers.
In fact, Prime Minister Phillips noted on Friday that these works will continue.
“We will continue to dredge our river channels. We will deepen the path for bigger dreams and safer passage. Because a nation’s ambition must never run aground on silted riverbeds. We will remove the wrecks and obstructions from the Essequibo and Demerara rivers. For too long these submerged skeletons have haunted our waterways. We are clearing the ghosts of the past to make way for the future,” he posited.
According to the Prime Minister, “We will operationalise new cargo boats for the Pomeroon, Berbice and the Northwest. We will ensure that no community, no matter how remote, is left off the map of progress. And we will rehabilitate ferry vessels and stellings nationwide, acquiring new vessels to extend our reach. This is not a project, it is a national crusade for connectivity.”