A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul is demanding greater transparency from the Government over the planned salvage of the MV Barima, which sank on July 18, questioning the status of the process since the Expression of Interest (EOI) for the recovery operation closed on August 14.
Mahipaul said ten days have passed since the deadline and the Government has yet to provide the public with a comprehensive update on the outcome of the process.
“Ten days have passed since the close of the Expression of Interest for the salvage of the MV Barima, and the Government of Guyana has still not told the nation what is happening. This is unacceptable.”
The EOI was issued as part of efforts to identify a specialist contractor capable of salvaging the vessel, which sank off Guyana’s coast following the deadly maritime disaster.
Active search and recovery operations have since ended, with authorities reporting 73 bodies recovered, 30 people still missing and 76 survivors accounted for, from a revised estimate of 179 people aboard the vessel.
The salvage operation is therefore expected to have significance beyond recovering the wreck. The vessel and other material recovered could provide evidence relevant to investigations into the circumstances surrounding the sinking and the deaths and disappearances.
Mahipaul had previously criticised the Government over what he described as secrecy surrounding the EOI process. He argued that, under Guyana’s public procurement framework, bids should be opened publicly, and questioned why information about the submissions and opening process was not made available to the public.
He has now renewed those concerns, demanding disclosure of the number of companies that submitted EOIs, how many satisfied the evaluation requirements, how many were shortlisted and whether a contractor has been selected.
“How many companies submitted Expressions of Interest? How many met the evaluation criteria? How many were shortlisted? Has a company been selected? When will the salvage operation begin? The families deserve answers. The nation deserves answers.”
The Government has previously indicated that the submissions would be evaluated before a contractor is selected and negotiations undertaken. President Irfaan Ali has also said companies were being shortlisted for the next stage of the process.
But Mahipaul is pressing for specific information on the status of the evaluation and a timetable for the commencement of the salvage operation.
His criticism comes after a highly visible Government response to the disaster, including visits by President Ali and other officials to affected communities, attendance at funerals and public assurances that everything possible would be done for the victims and their families.
Mahipaul questioned whether that urgency has been sustained.
“Was it all a sham when President Irfaan Ali spent days in Charity? Was it all a sham when Ministers attended funerals and publicly expressed solidarity with grieving families? Was it all a sham when Prime Minister Mark Phillips held press conferences and assured the nation that everything possible would be done?”
He further questioned whether the Government is now hoping the tragedy will recede from public attention.
“Or has the Government already moved on and simply hopes that the MV Barima tragedy will fade from public memory? We must not forget.”
With 30 people still missing and families awaiting answers, the salvage of the vessel remains a matter of national and humanitarian importance. It could also be critical to determining what happened aboard the MV Barima and preserving evidence for ongoing investigations.
Mahipaul said the Government owes the families and the country a clear account of the process.
