Good day, members of the media, and thank you for being here. I wish to address the serious concerns surrounding the MV Barima, its maintenance history, its operation, and the urgent need to protect the travelling public.

The MV Barima was commissioned in 1936 and served this country for many decades, including on routes from West Bank Berbice to Bartica. It is, however, best known for serving the North West District. By design, the vessel had an estimated passenger capacity of approximately 150 persons and a cargo capacity of approximately 290 tons.

For a vessel of this age, maintenance is not a routine administrative matter; it is a matter of public safety. From the 1990s until 2020, general and specific repairs were undertaken by established contractors, including GNIC, and Courtney Benn Contracting Services. Because of the age of the vessel, several structural components had to be specially fabricated overseas by specialist companies.