HGP Nightly News – Former Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has accused the PPP/C government of disregarding expert advice when it selected the MV Ma Lisha for the North-West route, claiming two technical evaluations had recommended a more expensive and better-equipped alternative.
During an exclusive interview with Nightly News, Patterson said the APNU+AFC administration received two bids for the construction of a modern passenger and cargo ferry under a financing arrangement with India.
One proposal was reportedly valued at approximately US$15.3 million, while the competing bid was close to US$12 million.
Patterson said technical experts assessed both offers and recommended the higher-priced proposal because it was superior in design and capability.
The lower bidder subsequently challenged that decision, he said, prompting a second independent assessment.
According to Patterson, the second review reached the same conclusion and again recommended the more expensive vessel.
“The experts recommended the more expensive one,” he said. “A second review was done independently, and they also recommended the higher-quality vessel.”
Patterson claimed the procurement changed after the PPP/C returned to government in August 2020.
“Immediately on the PPP’s return, they reverted to the cheaper version,” he alleged.
Official government accounts state that India’s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited secured the contract through competitive bidding. The company constructed the MV Ma Lisha for approximately US$12.7 million.
The MV Ma Lisha was commissioned in 2023 as a modern ocean-going passenger and cargo vessel for the Georgetown-to-Region One route.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had told the National Assembly that the new ferry would replace the MV Barima and MV Kimbia on services to Mabaruma, Morawhanna and Port Kaituma.
Government planning documents also described the Ma Lisha as the designated replacement for the two older vessels.
Despite those commitments, the MV Barima continued transporting passengers and cargo along the North-West route.
Patterson said the coalition had never intended for the ageing ferry to remain indefinitely in the rougher Atlantic waters.
When the APNU+AFC entered government in 2015, the MV Barima and Lady Northcote were among the few functioning vessels available for the service, while the MV Kimbia had reportedly been out of operation for several years.
Patterson said his ministry rehabilitated the Kimbia before taking the Barima out of service for extensive repairs and upgrades.
Because of the Barima’s age, some components reportedly had to be specially manufactured overseas. Its engines, mechanical equipment and other systems were replaced or upgraded before the ferry returned to operation.
Patterson said the vessel performed reliably after the rehabilitation, but the government still recognised that it needed to be replaced.
The plan, he explained, was to “semi-retire” the Barima once the new North-West ferry arrived.
It would have been transferred temporarily to the calmer waters of the Berbice River, operating between New Amsterdam and agricultural communities farther upriver while a purpose-built vessel was pursued.
Patterson said the Barima was expected to remain in that limited role for only another year or two.
“Our intention was not to keep it around so long,” he said.
That plan was not implemented. The MV Barima remained on the Georgetown-to-Port Kaituma service and later capsized off the Essequibo Coast.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill has maintained that no report declared the ferry unseaworthy and that it was operating within its maintenance cycle.
