Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan says the Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi will have to determine if Intercontinental Shipping - the provider of the Super Fast Galicia - will be allowed to retender to service the domestic sea bridge.
Sinanan was responding to a question posed by host Hema Ramkissoon on CNC3’s Morning Brew programme yesterday.
Tenders which were put out by the Port Authority of T&T (PATT) to obtain a vessel as a medium term measure to transport cargo to Tobago will close on April 24.
The long term plan is for Government to purchase a cargo vessel which will take 30 months to build and get to our shores, he said.
“We ended up here because we had a bad start with the procurement of the vessel,” Sinanan said.
Asked if the Galicia would be invited to re-tender for the medium term measure, Sinanan replied, “I know a tender went out ...an invitation to Intercontinental, but that will be determined by the Attorney General in going forward. Because if litigation matters are afoot, I don’t know how that will pan out. Yes, the tender went out and Intercontinental did get an invitation.”
Sinanan also gave the assurance that the Trinity Transporter and the MV Atlantic Provider, which will be used in the interim to transport goods and building materials to Tobago, was done above board by PATT and its tender’s committee.
Asked if former minister of works and transport Fitzgerald Hinds took a note to Cabinet in April 2016 recommending that the Galicia contract be extended for another 18 months from April 2016 to October 2017, which Cabinet did not approve, but which would have allowed more time for Government to approve a replacement vessel, Sinanan said some information about the Galicia was blown out of proportion by the public and media without verifying the facts.
“I have not seen any note going to Cabinet.”
He said, however, that he did see a note for dredging put forward in Cabinet.
