Corentyne River Bridge: Will make decisive pronouncement if any other request is made – Pres Ali

– maintains Guyana’s position of joint project

Even as Guyana is open to hearing proposals from Suriname regarding the construction of a bridge across the Corentyne River, President Dr Irfaan Ali has made it clear that his Government is only interested in a joint project.
The Guyanese leader’s statement comes on the heels of reports that Suriname’s Minister of Public Works and Spatial Planning, Stephen Tsang, said that the Government intends to fully finance and construct the Corentyne River bridge on its own.
But President Ali told reporters on the side-lines of an event on Wednesday that he has not received any official communication from Suriname indicating such an intention to solely finance the construction of the bridge that will link the two neighbouring countries.
“I have not received anything officially… I know the Minister of Finance reached out,” he informed reporters.
Nevertheless, Ali pointed out that Guyana’s position is clear and consistent with initial plans to have the bridge built as a joint project between the two Governments – a model he insists should be the way forward.
“Guyana is interested in being part of a project that covers two sovereign spaces in a joint manner. That has always been our position. There is no other official position that is before me. There is no other official request that is before me. The only official position I know is a joint project between the Government of Guyana and the Government of Suriname. If any other request is made, then at that time, I will be in a position to pronounce on it, and you can rest assured that I’ll pronounce decisively on it,” the Guyanese president declared.
Based on reports coming out of Suriname, Minister Tsang, while responding to questions from the Parliamentary opposition in the National Assembly on Monday about the progress of the project, announced that Suriname intends to finance the Corentyne River Bridge with its own funds.
However, he indicated that the financing structure has not yet been finalised and that they are looking at various models, including toll collection for bridge users. Moreover, the Minister added that a new tendering process may be necessary depending on the final choice.
According to the Surinamese Minister, the bridge must be a Surinamese project.
But President Ali pointed to previous engagements with his Surinamese counterpart, President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, who has indicated that her country is in the process of finalising its part of the agreement. Guyana had long completed its preparations and was awaiting the Dutch-speaking nation to advance the bridge project.
Only in May, Presidents Ali and Geerlings-Simons met virtually to deal with a number of issues, including movement along the Corentyne River. That came months after the two presidents met in Paramaribo last September and reiterated their commitment to advance the bridge project.
“Madam President and I have expressed commitment from both Governments to having this signature project completed. We have agreed to have a specific coordinating group look at addressing all outstanding issues, including technical, financial, and legal issues, so that we can advance this project in an efficient manner,” President Ali stated at a joint press conference on September 13, 2025, in Paramaribo.
Meanwhile, President Geerlings-Simons also shared during the press briefing that since 2010, Suriname had indicated its interest in bridging the Corentyne River, which largely falls within the territory of the Dutch nation, to connect the two neighbouring countries.
She pointed out that once the various technical, financial, and legal matters are sorted out, works will be fast-tracked to implement this significant infrastructure project, which will be key for further connections into South America and the Amazon region.
It was previously agreed that both Guyana and Suriname would share the cost of the bridge construction, which was initially pegged at around US$300 million, in a 50-50 arrangement.
The proposed Corentyne River bridge was designed as a high-span structure that will run approximately 3.1 kilometres, connecting Moleson Creek in Guyana to South Drain in Suriname, with a landing on Long Island in the Corentyne River, where a commercial hub and tourist destination will be established. That free zone will see major infrastructural development such as hotels, recreational parks, entertainment spots, tourist attractions, malls, and farmers’ markets.
This joint bridge project is one of the first agreements that were signed between President Ali and former Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi in their August 2020 cooperation pact. At the time, both leaders underscored the critical role the bridge across the Corentyne River would play in advancing cooperation and creating more opportunities for development for the two nations.
Since then, both Guyana and Suriname have settled on the Chinese construction company, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), as the preferred contractor to build the new bridge.
Meanwhile, stakeholders, including the private sector, have recognised that this proposed infrastructure would play a critical role in advancing cooperation, trade, tourism, and traffic between Guyana and Suriname, replacing the current ferry service between the two neighbouring countries.

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