Sod turning for Corentyne River Bridge mere weeks away – Suriname’s President

…as Surinamese company opens local office to meet Guyana’s construction demand

The sod-turning ceremony for the highly anticipated Corentyne River Bridge which will significantly improve connectivity and trade between Guyana and Suriname will occur in a few weeks.
This was revealed by the President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi on Monday during the launching event for state owned company NV Grassalco Guyana based subsidiary Guysure Aggregate and Sands Incorporate (Guysure ASI) sales office.
Santokhi had arrived in Guyana on Monday morning to participate in the launch event; during his visit, the Surinamese leader was also scheduled to turn the sod for the highly anticipated Corentyne River Bridge however the ceremony has been delayed and will be done in a few weeks’ time.
Whilst no reason was given for the rescheduling, Santokhi reaffirmed his country’s commitment towards executing the project noting that the Sod-turning ceremony would be held shortly.

“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 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 Heads previously underscoring the critical role the bridge across the Corentyne River would play in advancing cooperation, creating more opportunities for development for both countries.
Back in May of 2022, a US$2 million contract was signed in Paramaribo for several preliminary studies and research to be conducted on the Corentyne bridge by WSP Caribbean.
Earlier this year, Guyana’s Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo noted that the Government is ready to fund its share of the project, however, progress hinges on Suriname’s ability to secure its portion of the financing.

Guysure ASI sales office
In response to rising demand from Guyana’s booming construction industry, Suriname-based mining company NV Grassalco has opened a sales office for its local subsidiary, Guysure ASI.
The launch was held on Monday at the Pritipaul Singh Investments port in McDoom, where senior officials from the Guyanese and Surinamese business communities, along with other stakeholders, gathered to mark the occasion.
Guysure ASI has been exporting aggregate to Guyana for some time. With heightened activity in the sector, the company now plans to ramp up its operations to better serve the domestic market
Speaking at the launch event was President of the Republic of Suriname, HE Chandrikapersad Santokhi who highlighted the important role the new investment will play in strengthening bilateral relations between Guyana and Suriname.
“Through this port, as Seaport offers, Grassalco will provide sustainable, high-quality gravel for infrastructural projects in Guyana. Grassalco investment in Guyana amounts to more than US$3 million with projects for this amount to grow to US$10 million within a couple of months. This new operation will also create jobs for up to 50 people.”
The President added, “This is the kind of cooperation neighbouring countries should have: mutual benefit from economic cooperation, creating jobs, increasing productivity, and contributing to the national economies.”
Also present at the event was Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Komal Singh. According to Singh the new investment comes at a critical time during the country’s economic development.
“As such, contractors and projects no longer have to suffer in the cost of waiting for products like stone, for example, to get a project done. The opportunity that is currently unfolding in Guyana is one that is huge. The pie is so big right now. Guyanese and Guyanese companies don’t have enough capacity to develop all that is unfolding as the day goes by.”
Echoing similar sentiments chairman of the Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce (SGCC) Dr Vishnu Doerga. He highlighted that the new investment would not take away from Guyanese businesses operating in the market but will compliment these small enterprises.
“But growth also reveals gaps while local entrepreneurs have scaled operations to meet this demand, supply constraints remain. And this is where neighbouring companies like Grassalco step in with a strong reputation for reliability, sustainable practices, and as we heard, almost 53 years of mining experience. I would then want to posit that Grassalco is not here to compete, but to complement.”
GuySure ASI specialises in the import, unloading and sale of high-quality aggregate from Suriname.