Auditor General says: Ferry acquisition under review

AUDITOR General Lorelly Pujadas said her department is reviewing Government’s acquisition of boats and ferries from Australia.

She was speaking Wednesday during a virtual Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting with the auditor general’s department and Finance Ministry officials on the auditor general’s report of the public accounts for the financial year 2019.

PAC chairman Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie asked if Government’s acquisition of ferry vessels from Australia had come under the scrutiny of the auditor general’s department. Pujadas said the project was being reviewed and it is a work in progress.

Tewarie said the arrangements were made via a government-to-government contract and he understands that it involved provide providers and financial arrangements done through the development programme and the infrastructure development fund. Pujadas replied that the National Security Ministry boats were being done through the development programme while the ferries were being done through the infrastructure development fund.

Tewarie asked the Auditor General if she was aware of the procurement procedure that led to the payments and Pujadas replied that the evidence was still being reviewed.

Tewarie then asked when the review would be completed and Pujadas said it was not a special audit and should be in the next report. She also said that her department has not had any major challenges with getting documentary evidence.

In January 2019 the Prime Minister said a Cabinet note of July 26, 2018 agreed to the acquisition of two fast ferry Catamarans to service the inter-island sea bridge and two patrol vessels for the Coast Guard to patrol the offshore areas of TT, the acquisition of one INCAT 100m vessel, one Austal 94m vessel and two Austal Naval Cape Class Patrol vessels.

The note also stated that the Government would pursue financing arrangements with EFIC, the Australian government’s export credit agency, and financing from the government of Australia to fund the two naval Cape Class patrol boats.

He also said the National Infrastructure Development Company and the National Security Ministry have proceeded to order the two fast ferries and the two Cape Class Patrol vessels and the contracts for the purchase of these vessels have been executed and monies paid in accordance with the material contractual arrangements.