US$73.5m ferry contract awarded

AUSTRALIAN shipbuilder Austal has been awarded a US$73,550,000 contract to build a 94 metre, high speed, passenger/cargo, roll-on/roll off catamaran ferry for TT’s seabridge.

Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan made the announcement in the Senate on Thursday. He said this vessel was “custom built starting from scratch for the purpose of TT.” The ferry has a 930 passenger and 150 car capacity. The vessel can also transport trucks and is equipped with cells to accommodate ten prisoners.

Sinanan said Cabinet agreed last May for a delegation to visit Australia and other countries for the supply of fast ferries and military vessels. Last June, a cabinet appointed committee reviewed proposals received from that delegation. The members of that committee included Communications Minister Stuart Young, Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dennis Moses, then national security minister Edmund Dillon and Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte.

Sinanan said this committee was replaced by a new committee comprising National Infrastructure Development Companny (Nidco) and other experts. This committee finalised arrangements for the new ferry. Financing was provided by the Australian exim bank EFIC. The Central Tenders Board was not involved. Sinanan said British law firm Haynes and Boone provided legal support.

Sinanan rejected claims from Opposition Senators Wade Mark and Saddam Hosein that the Prime Minister acted as an agent in this matter. “The Prime Minister is not an agent of the Port Authority.” He said Dr Keith Rowley and Young visited an Austal shipyard during a working visit to Australia last year. Sinanan said Rowley undertook this visit because from 2010 to 2015, the then People’s Partnership government “ran down vessels at the port.” He said in 2013, the Port Authority cancelled the contract of Bay Ferries which was maintaining the ferries.

Sinanan said this resulted in millions being spent to bring back the TT Spirit and the TT Express. He said it public knowledge that the Express cannot be returned to service. Austal will also be building two Cape Class vessels for the Coast Guard. Another Australian shipbuilder, Incat, will be building another new fast ferry for the seabridge.