Fending off criticisms over the US$12.7 million ferry from India for the north west, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill yesterday said it is being constructed to meet the cargo needs of the people and that Guyana is getting its money’s worth.
When the boat was launched last week many criticized the design and said a much more modern and sleeker vessel could have been secured for the price. Responding to these criticisms Edghill said “We need to debunk the reckless speech that some people are saying that we are getting a renovated boat. If you have a renovated boat, you won’t get plate cutting, you don’t get key laying, and you don’t get painting over. This is a boat that has been built from scratch and designed for the condition that it has to operate in with specifications to meet the needs of the people.”
Edghill also questioned the credibility of the criticism and said that under the APNU+AFC government the vessel was being procured at a higher cost from an Indian private sector company.
This government has procured the state-owned Indian company, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited, to construct the vessel. “GRSC the one that is building this ship is a company associated with the state. We went to their shipyard. They are building ships for the Indian navy. It is one of the most impressive construction facilities that I have ever seen. The expertise is magnificent. They are not building yachts and luxury ships; they are building serious ocean-going and naval vessels,” the Minister under whose portfolio transport falls said.
Meanwhile, Chair of the Board of the Transport and Harbours Department, Rosalinda Rasul also explained the rationale behind the choice of the vessel and its design. “Where this vessel is going is rough terrain and I am quite sure that no person around this table would be using Lamborghini to fetch pineapples or cow or cargo basically. In a cargo operation, it’s not exactly a smooth operation like in some other industries,” she said.
The Chair of the Board added that with rough terrain it is likely that the vessel will bump into objects resulting in drag marks on it. “You are going to have a lot of boxes and crates moving around. So, if you have a modern slicker cruise liner vessel there we are going to get criticized for investing in a vessel that is not fit for purpose or intent.” She stated that the vessel satisfied the design and model of what it is needed for and persons should appreciate the functionality and its features. By October the vessel should be completed and will take approximately 45-60 days from its shipyard in Kolkata, India to Port Georgetown.
Among the features of the 70 meters long MV MA LISHA is a cold room to preserve produce during transport. Edghill noted with this feature farmers from Region One can positively contribute to the Caribbean’s food security objectives. The vessel will be able to transport some 250 tonnes of cargo and is equipped with a 6-tonne crane to move cargo on and off the vessel. The vessel will also be able to accommodate 14 cars, two trucks and 10 containers at once. The boat also has the capacity to transport 276 passengers and 18 crew members and will be able to reduce travel time from Georgetown to the North West by half its current time. The boat is outfitted with two caterpillar engines with a speed of 15 knots per hour. The structural components have been completed and Edghill explained over the next few months they will be working on installing plumbing and electrical fixtures, interior seating, necessary cold storage equipment and other features to make the vessel comfortable. He said those items were not installed because they can be damaged during the vessel’s launch.
On January 13 last year, the Transport and Harbours Department signed a US$12.7M contract with the Indian company to commence the construction of the ocean-going passenger and cargo ferry for the North West District and other parts of the country. The signing marked the end of a years-long delay in the major project. The construction of the vessel is financed through US$18 million from India, with US$6 million in the form of a grant and US$12 million in a line of credit. In a statement last week, the Indian High Commissioner in Guyana Dr K J Srinivasa said that GRSE Chairman Cmde P R Hari said that the ferry was built in record time – some 7 months after the keel was laid. The keel for the vessel with a displacement of 1700 tonnes was laid in November last year.
According to the Indian High Commission most of the workforce on the ferry belonged to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, regions from where most of Guyana’s 40% Indian-origin diaspora originated from. The ship was named MV Ma Lisha – meaning Friendship symbolizing the “great bonds of friendship” between India and Guyana.
