APNU Member of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul has again sounded an alarm that almost a month after the bids were opened by the National Tender Board (NPTAB), there is no indication from the Government about the selection of a company to salvage the MV Barima ferry.

MP Mahipaul expressed outrage today, noting that there appears to be no urgency with which the Government is treating with the tragic incident that claimed the lives of more than 100 people, with many others still missing.

He said it took the Government 25 days before the bids were opened on September 8, and now the grieving families have been made to wait additional weeks before they can be updated on the move to salvage the vessel.

“September has ended without a publicly announced contractor and without a clear mobilisation date. That is the problem. This is not simply another government procurement exercise. People died. Families are still waiting. Some families have not been able to lay their loved ones to rest. The sunken vessel is also directly relevant to understanding what happened and preserving evidence for the Commission of Inquiry. The Government’s own terms for the salvage process recognised the importance of preserving evidence for that investigation,” MP Mahipaul said.

The APNU MP said leadership and responsibility must also mean acting with urgency when families are waiting for answers.

“I am not calling for procurement rules to be bypassed. I am calling for urgency within the rules. If the Government could move quickly when it considers a matter a national priority, then the families of the MV Barima victims deserve to know why this process has moved at this extremely slow pace. Where is the urgency? Where is the contractor? Where is the mobilization date? And most importantly, when will these grieving families finally get the answers and closure they deserve?” he said.

He said the MV Barima tragedy must not become another file sitting on a desk in a Ministry. Mahipaul said the families deserve much better.

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