– PM Phillips says the new “vessel’ represents an investment in people
Thousands of farmers and passengers from both Regions Two and Three no longer have to worry about limited space on vessels travelling the Parika-Supenaam route, with the addition of the MV Konawaruk 1899.
Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, in the presence of government ministers, commissioned the US$5 million vessel into service. Well over one hundred passengers boarded the ship for its maiden voyage to Supenaam on Friday evening.
Named after an Amerindian area in Region Eight, the MV Konawaruk 1899 is built to accommodate over 300 passengers, 81 cars and is Guyana’s first modern double-ended ferry.
Prime Minister Phillips, in his feature address, said the ferry represents the government’s investment in the people of Regions Two and Three. It will not only provide for a comfortable travel journey, but it will also boost trade and connectivity between the two regions.
“It means the farmers’ produce from Region Two reaches the markets of Region Three with its freshness intact and its value undiminished. It means businesses move at the speed of opportunity, not the speed of outdated schedules,” Prime Minister Phillips said as he outlined the significance of the new complement to the two existing ferries that ply the same route.
The modern ferry is part of a national transportation master plan, with significant emphasis being placed on river transport.
The prime minister said the government “will operationalise new cargo boats for the Pomeroon, Berbice, and the North West. We will ensure that no community, no matter how remote, is left off the map of progress”
The government will upgrade the Parika Ferry Stelling and develop the waterfront to turn the region into a vital port and trade centre for the Caribbean.
“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,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, said the vessel, built in Greece, was acquired by the government at a very reasonable rate. It will carry double the load of the MV Kanawan and Sabanto ferries. Minister Edghill said that the acquisition of the MV Konawaruk 1899 is the realisation of the vision of President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali.
Minister Edghill further announced that a similar vessel is being acquired from Greece to serve the people of Region One (Barima-Waini).