President Irfaan Ali announced on Wednesday that Guyana and Barbados are actively working to address challenges related to cargo movement. Speaking at the commissioning of the US$8 million mixing plant of the National Milling Company (NAMILCO), a subsidiary of the American company SEABOARD, President Ali outlined steps that will be taken to optimize the utilization of a shipping facility in Bridgetown for cargo transit to Guyana.
Addressing the issue of shipping containers, the President noted that most containers have to be offloaded in Trinidad and then transshipped to Guyana, incurring significant costs. However, the initiative, at the government level, is well advanced in discussions, and authorities are set to engage NAMILCO and other freight movers to leverage this opportunity in the market.
“I’m collaborating with Barbados to explore the possibility of designating a special area within their port for consolidated containers, thereby establishing a more efficient transshipment system from Barbados to Guyana,” President Ali stated.
President Ali also shared that he envisions a pivotal role for NAMILCO in processing Guyana’s growing soya and corn production, facilitating the production of animal feed for export, including destinations in the Caribbean like the Dominican Republic.
Additionally, President Ali expressed the government’s commitment to increasing the draught of the Demerara River, a vital commercial waterway in Guyana. This includes considering a two-way channel in the Demerara River to accommodate the rapid development occurring on both sides of the river.
Also present at the commissioning ceremony was Bert Sukhai, the CEO of NAMILCO, who highlighted the potential to address Guyana’s labor shortage by encouraging local workers to adopt the commendable work ethic displayed by the international team that was involved in installing its machinery.
