(Kaieteur News) – President Irfaan Ali says bids submitted for the salvage of the MV Barima are still being re-evaluated, as the government moves to select a company to recover the vessel.
The president made the disclosure Thursday evening during a meeting with members of the Guyanese diaspora in New York.
The MV Barima sank on 18th July while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. The tragedy claimed 73 confirmed lives, while dozens of others remain missing. The vessel is still on the seabed off the Essequibo Coast.
“The technical people are re-evaluating those bids so that the company can be selected to do the salvaging,” the president said.
President Ali addressing the Guyanese diaspora in New York on Thursday.
Three companies submitted bids for the salvage operation after nine firms submitted Expressions of Interest.
The bidders are local companies BK International Inc. and Industrial Fabrications Inc. (InFab), along with Netherlands-based KMS B.V.
The bids opened earlier this month show BK International submitted the lowest offer at US$1.034 million, followed by InFab at US$1.895 million and KMS B.V. at US$2.035 million.
The bids are now being evaluated before the government selects a contractor.
Meanwhile, the Guyanese leader pushed back against any suggestion that the government is trying to avoid recovering the vessel or investigating the tragedy.
“We are not hiding from salvaging; there is a process and that process is ongoing. We are not hiding from investigation,” he said.
The salvage operation is also expected to be important to the Commission of Inquiry established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the sinking and loss of life. The terms for the salvage require the contractor to preserve forensic evidence that could assist the commission.
Ali said the government would not interfere with the work of the commission.
“I am not going to interfere in the work of the COI,” he said.
Source: Kaieteur News
