The Guyanese government intends to provide accommodation for its citizens who reside in Suriname and wish to come home. To this purpose, the Guyanese Ministry of Housing and Water would like to develop a new housing plan in Moleson Creek, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
During a community outreach program in the area, minister Collin Croal made this announcement. There, he reported that numerous Guyanese who reside in Suriname have indicated a desire to leave. He stressed that as part of their work plan, they are considering developing a portion of Moleson Creek.
According to the minister, Berbicians looking for housing solutions should also be able to live there. Furthermore, Minister Croal noted that the area is also being developed due to an expected increase in activity with the new Corentyne river bridge that will connect Guyana and Suriname.
The intention is to build the bridge over the Corentyne River through a public-private partnership (PPP) and according to the Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain (DBFOM) model. This means that the successful joint venture contractor will be responsible for final design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance.
The China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC), which worked on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion, is one of five companies shortlisted to build the Corentyne Bridge. The final cost is determined by what the bidder is proposing in terms of the bridge’s capacity. The actual cost of construction is estimated to be just under US$500 million, according to Guyanese media.
