(Trinidad Express) The Government has a multi-million-dollar headache it is trying to get rid of—the MV Su.
Since the People’s National Movement (PNM) Government purchased the Su in 2008 through the National Infrastructure Development Company (NIDCO) for TT$25 million to be used as a water taxi, it has never sailed a day.
In fact, TT$27 million has been spent on repairs and maintenance, more than the purchase price.
To date, a total of TT$53.5 million of taxpayers’ money has been spent on the Su, which will sink if it makes a short voyage from Chaguaramas to the Waterfront Complex, Port of Spain, says Transport Minister Devant Maharaj.
Some TT$67,000 a month is currently being spent just to keep the MV Su berthed at the Inter Isle Construction Co Ltd dockyard in Chaguaramas, where it has been for almost four years.
But the MV Su is just part of the problem. To add to the headache, there are three other vessels—HC Katia, HC Olivia and HC Milancia—purchased in 2008 for TT$36 million at TT$12 million each.
These three vessels are currently not functioning and are packed away at the Coast Guard facility in Chaguaramas. There is no place there to store the MV Su, so money has to be forked out to keep it at a private dockyard, said Maharaj.
Like the MV Su, the other ships are also up for sale. These three vessels sailed from December 2008 to September 2010 in the water taxi service, with a maintenance cost of close to TT$10 million from 2009 to 2011.
Since 2008 to now, approximately TT$100 million has been spent on these four boats.
The Express yesterday went on an exclusive tour of the MV Su with Minister Maharaj and Sharon Taylor, director of the Water Taxi Service.
The MV Su, a passenger ship with a capacity for 600 people, was purchased with the intention of using it on the water taxi service.
For TT$25 million one would have expected to see a spanking new ship with modern facilities.
The MV Su is far from that, based on what the Express saw.
The ship is rusting all over and the upholstery is worn out.
No one wants to buy the MV Su for anything near what was spent on it.
Maharaj said advertisements were placed internationally in November 2011 for the sale of the MV Su and two persons were interested in buying the ship…for its scrap metal—for TT$560,000 and TT$550,000, respectively.
He said Cabinet advised advertisements be placed locally to see if anyone would offer a better price in an effort to reclaim some of the costs.
The company Astralship completed a valuation survey for the MV Su and submitted a valuation ranging between US$50,000 and US$100,000 for the vessel based on its age, its existing condition, its current location at a dockyard in Trinidad, as well as the prevailing conditions within the second-hand market.
Maharaj questioned what procurement process was used during the PNM regime to purchase the MV Su.
