Trintrac: We were never removed from WTS, we quit

Trintrac CEO Andrew Bernard is denying a report by the National Infrastructure Development Co (Nidco) that it was fired for maintenance delays on the four water taxis.

"It is inaccurate. We are the ones who gave up the duty of repairing the water taxi and Coast Guard's fast patrol craft (FPC). We broke the relationship with Nidco and (German marine engine manufacturers) MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH," Bernard told the Newsday.

He said his company has documentary evidence to prove this if necessary.

"Our experience was good. We kept them running for a high ratio. But we removed ourselves. We told Nidco and MTU that we were discontinuing (the relationship)," Bernard said.

On Sunday, Newsday reported that Trintrac had been the former local agent for MTU, but, the Nidco report said, "As a result of delays experienced by Trintrac Ltd, MTU changed its local agent to SVF International in 2013."

In 2014, SVF International, based in Curacao, formed a joint venture partnership with local firm Tropical Power Ltd, which as the local MTU agents, maintains the water taxis "as needed" when Nidco requests its assistance. From August 1, 2013 to date, Nidco has paid SVF International/SVF TT $42 million to maintain the water taxi engines.

Fomer transport minister Stephen Cadiz is a current director of Tropical Power, although during his tenure in government he recused himself from the company.

In its report, Nidco said that since the formation of the joint venture company, it has noted that “there has been an improvement in the access to technicians but the delays suffered in the past continue to affect them (the water taxi vessels).”

Nidco’s maintenance staff have also been trained so that many of the internal jobs can be handled internally. “Additional training is still required at this stage,” the company said. Each water taxi has four MTU engines, totalling 16 for the entire fleet.

The Galleons Passage, for which Nidco will have responsibility when it eventually arrives, has another four. MTU only operates through its local agents, so any requests of deliveries for parts are only facilitated through the authorised agent—SVF TT.

While Trintrac had maintained the FPC while it was the MTU agent, SVF TT has never done any work for the Coast Guard, Cadiz said.

The real challenge to maintaing these vessels, said a source in the equipement industry who declined to be named, is bureaucracy.

"If a vessel goes down, no one wants to touch it until there's some kind of authorising documentation.

"The reality is, though, that because of government bueaucracy, what will take one day in the private sector can take weeks in the public sector, and all this time, the equipment is down.

"I don't think it's corruption. The prices are high because you're dealing with sophisticated equipment, but the bureacracy is the issue," the source said.

Newsday tried several times to reach Nidco for comment but the company did not respond.