New Parika Port to include marina for tourism activities – Pres. Ali
Apr 15, 2025
Kaieteur News- President Irfaan Ali has announced that the new Parika Ferry Stelling and Waterfront Development Project set for Region Three will include the construction of a marina to support the country’s tourism sector.
President Irfaan Ali
The President made this announcement while engaging residents at the Hydronie Market tarmac on Friday evening. He was at time speaking of the planned projects his government will soon execute in the region.
Specifically talking about the new modern port for Parika, the President said with a tender already out for the project and bids scheduled to opened in May, the government is looking to have the first phase of the project begin before July this year.
“We are going to launch the first phase of converting Parika Stelling into a port. A port that will ship directly to the region and the first phase of that project, the tenders will be opened on the 2nd of May and we hope that construction in the first phase will commence long before July,” he mentioned.
The Head-of-State said that at the new port facility, various sectors including logging, mining and farming, would benefit from the ability to ship directly from Parika to the Caribbean.
“But to support the port, we also have to invest in some key infrastructure here. So, you will have Customs and Immigration, you will have a modern Fire Service, a modern Coast Guard, a modern Police Service but importantly to support our farmers, we will invest in a modern storage facility, a modern processing facility, a modern and an important cold storage facility to extend the life span of your crops,” he told residents.
This port, which will pave way for new opportunities, the President announced that in the planned phases, it will bring with it a marina for tourism activities.
According to him, “A marina so that we can have boats utilizing the marina here in Parika to support the tourism sector so you will have sailing, boating in the Essequibo River, we will make the facility to ensure that it can accommodate cruise liners coming into Parika so that the Essequibo tourism circuit can be further explored and the tourism opportunity that will come with that.”
Kaieteur News reported that a tender for the first phase of the project – the construction of concrete pile foundation, land reclamation, and stelling deck superstructure works- was published.
The project which falls under the Ministry of Public Work’s capital programme for the year, forms parts of the $9.9 billion that was budgeted to the agency to improve the country’s river transportation service
Kaieteur News also reported that the upgrading of the stelling is to facilitate the arrival of the new Regional Ferry Service that is said to operate to Guyana from Parika.
President Ali, at the opening ceremony of the 46th Regular Meeting of the Heads of Governments of CARICOM in February 2024, said that Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados will soon launch a ferry service aimed at improving intra-regional transportation.
The Parika Stelling, which borders the Essequibo River, does not only serve as a passenger loading and offloading area, but is also a waterfront where farmers take their produce from the hinterland to sell.
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