The Government of Guyana is finalising negotiations for the purchase of the Berbice River Bridge, with Public Works Minister Juan Edghill stating that the process could be completed by the end of the first quarter of this year.
Responding to questions during the Committee of Supply’s consideration of the budget estimates on Wednesday, Edghill said the administration is in the final stages of concluding the arrangements with the privately held Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI). He said that the government is “dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s” as it relates to the acquisition, adding that based on the figures reviewed, the cost to the treasury for purchasing the bridge would be less than the cumulative toll payments projected between now and next year.
No figure however was given as it pertains to the amount it takes to maintain the bridge, and pay for the current toll as of now.
Edghill noted that toll payments will continue until the negotiations with BBCI are finalised and ownership is transferred. Once the acquisition is completed, he said, the bridge will become the property of the Ministry of Public Works, which will then assume responsibility for its maintenance and operations.
