Questions mount over $400M Berbice Bridge deal

(Kaieteur News) – Chartered Accountant and commentator Christopher Ram is questioning the Government’s decision to spend at least $400 million to acquire shares in the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BBCI), arguing that the transaction raises serious questions about the value received by the State, the company’s liquidation and the use of public funds.

In a commentary published yesterday, Ram said the transaction was particularly concerning because the Government’s 2026 Mid-Year Report, dated August 28 and released on September 14, made no mention of either the proposed acquisition of BBCI or the company’s decision on August 21 to voluntarily wind up. Ram recalled that President Irfaan Ali had announced in August 2025 that Government was in the final stages of negotiations to acquire the Bridge and that Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh was leading those negotiations. “By August 21, 2026, Singh had therefore been leading the negotiations for a full year,” Ram said.

He noted that on August 21, BBCI’s members resolved to wind up the company voluntarily and appointed chartered accountant Raan Motilall as liquidator. Yet, Ram said, within days of the Mid-Year Report being released, the public learnt that Government had paid $400 million in the transaction.