As the critical cross-border ferry MV Canawaima faces a potential full suspension from service next month for urgent major repairs, Guyana and Suriname have moved forward to draft a contingency plan to avoid disrupting travel and trade between the two South American nations, Guyana’s Public Works Minister Juan Edghill confirmed in an interview Sunday.
The aging vessel, which serves the busy route between Moleson Creek in Guyana and South Drain in Suriname across the shared Corentyne River, has only been granted a provisional operating permit that expires September 28. This temporary approval came after a six-day total service shutdown last month that left hundreds of passengers, dozens of vehicles, and tons of commercial goods stranded on both sides of the river. The ferry only resumed limited, temporary operations on August 29 following emergency patchwork repairs.
Edghill told local outlet Demerara Waves Online News that authorities are preparing the Motor Barge Sandaka, a retired fallback vessel that previously stepped into the same role in 2019 during another service disruption, to take over operations if the Canawaima is pulled from the water for good. “We are working on the MB Sandaka which was used before,” Edghill noted, confirming the barge is being readied to minimize disruption to cross-border travel and commerce.
The current deadline for the Canawaima was set earlier this September by the Suriname government, after a full inspection by the Suriname Maritime Administration uncovered a list of serious safety and technical shortcomings that failed to meet regional operating standards. Naraindeth Seopershad, chairman of the Canawaima Management Company, which operates the ferry, confirmed that core safety systems including fire suppression, emergency rapid evacuation infrastructure, and navigation radar all do not meet required regulatory benchmarks. Suriname officials also added that unresolved leaks in the vessel’s hydraulic systems pose an ongoing safety hazard.
Officials on both sides note the Canawaima has not undergone a full major dry dock rehabilitation since 2021, and was originally scheduled for mandatory deep maintenance back in 2023. Inspections have also found that the ferry will reach the official end of its operational lifespan in 2027, leading senior Suriname officials to warn that a permanent replacement needs to be sourced immediately. Faizel Baarn, a presidential advisor to Suriname President Jennifer Simons, called the vessel’s current technical condition “worrying” and confirmed Simons has issued a formal order prioritizing passenger and cargo safety over maintaining uninterrupted service.
Right now, the Canawaima Management Company is actively soliciting bids from qualified firms to carry out the required repairs and upgrades to address the safety gaps. Beyond immediate technical fixes, Seopershad added that a restructuring of the operating company is also needed to secure the long-term future of the key cross-border link, which is a critical corridor for travel, trade, and family connections between Guyana and Suriname.