‘Backtrack’ regularization…Suriname’s army, police, food inspectors to be stationed at Nickerie crossing
The regularization of an age-old ‘backtrack’ crossing point in Nickerie, Suriname, seems to be taking shape, with authorities there announcing plans to build a checkpoint and landing stage.
Suriname Government officials meeting with boat owners in Nickerie last week.
The announcements were made during visits to the area by Minister of Justice, Jennifer van Dijk-Silos.
According to a report of Suriname’s online news, starnieuws.com over the weekend, consultations have been held between the ministers of Public Works, Transportation and Communications (OWT & C), Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (LVV), Planning, Land and Forest and Defense over a period of time on the issue.
Those talks also involved District Commissioner (DC) of Nickerie, Wedperkash Joeloemsingh.
Nickerie is a border area in Suriname with Corentyne, Berbice.
For years now, it has been a passenger speedboat drop-off point for persons visiting and leaving Suriname. It has been popular especially with thousands of Guyanese who live in Suriname and also quite a few others who are trading. However, the crossing has been largely unregulated with drugs, wanted persons and uninhibited smuggling.
The building of the checkpoint and landing stage, according to the news report, will take three months. Currently being processed are the boat permits.
Minister of Justice Dijk-Silos along with police met last Friday with stakeholders in the Nickerie area, speaking on how the area will be regulated. It was disclosed that the backtrack route will be addressed inter-departmentally.
The ‘backtrack’ area in Nickerie, Suriname.
Police, soldiers and representatives of the Ministry of LVV will be permanently stationed on the route.
Passengers from Guyana will be checked for goods, meats, fruits and vegetables among other items. The police and military will be there to ensure that travelers carry the necessary documents and that no criminals are crossing.
According to one boat owner, Devieknandan ‘Pee’ Baidjoe, the plans have something that stakeholders have been waiting for a long time now. However, boat owners also want the illegal backtrack description to be lifted and for the area to be renamed.
The Ministry of OWT & C will oversee the construction of the landing stage, the checkpoints and all other facilities. Already, designs are being worked on for the booth and landing stage.
Guyana has been talking with Suriname for a number of years now on regularizing the crossing.
While there is a ferry service at Moleson Creek, a large number of persons prefer the faster way of the speedboats.
Guyana and Suriname are talking about a bridge across the Corentyne River to link the two countries. Trade between the two countries is estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars annually.