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‘MV Barima salvage too urgent for lengthy tender process’ – Mahipaul urges Govt. to invoke emergency procurement powers
…says decision to invite public bids is a “cruel delay” that leaves critical evidence rotting underwater
(Kaieteur News) – Opposition Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul has criticised the government’s decision to put the salvage of the sunken MV Barima out to public tender, calling the administrative move a “cruel, insensitive, and entirely unacceptable delay” that risks destroying vital forensic evidence and prolonging the anguish of grieving families.
APNU MP Ganesh Mahipaul
Mahipaul’s call to action follows an advertisement published by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from marine salvage contractors, with a submission deadline set for Friday, August 14, 2026.
“Any reasonable person understands what follows after that deadline: evaluation of submissions, shortlisting, contract awards, mobilisation, and issuance of a commencement order,” Mahipaul stated in a press release. “This means actual salvage operations are unlikely to begin until late August or even early September. That timeline is simply unacceptable.”
Warning of the destructive nature of marine environments, Mahipaul emphasised that every day the vessel remains submerged threatens the integrity of the ongoing investigation into Guyana’s worst maritime disaster, which claimed more than one hundred lives.
Saltwater rapidly corrodes mechanical systems, degrades electronic equipment, and alters structural evidence essential for forensic experts, law enforcement, and the Commission of Inquiry. To avoid this, Mahipaul pointed out that Guyana’s procurement laws explicitly provide for emergency sole-sourcing under exceptional public interest conditions. He highlighted that the administration has repeatedly used sole-sourcing and emergency procurement for less critical projects, citing the acquisition of the MV Hercules, yet hesitates during a national tragedy.
Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, also called for the immediate resignation of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill. Mohamed revealed that he offered to facilitate the immediate salvage of the vessel through a reputable international firm at zero cost to taxpayers, an offer he claims the government bypassed in favor of a weeks-long tendering process.
Leader of the Opposition Azruddin Mohamed
Echoing the call for urgent action, prominent commentator Attorney Ralph Ramkarran, SC, writing in his Conversation Tree column, framed the recovery not as an administrative issue, but as an inescapable moral duty owed to the victims and their families. Ramkarran stressed that modern underwater technology, including Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and advanced sonar, makes safe recovery entirely feasible, asserting that financial or engineering concerns must not supersede human dignity and national closure.
“The vessel is more than twisted steel resting beneath the sea; it is the final resting place of fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, friends, and neighbours,” Ramkarran wrote. “Seeking to recover the bodies would affirm to the relatives and the nation the value and dignity of human life.”
Attorney Ralph Ramkarran, SC
With public outcry mounting, Mahipaul urged the administration to immediately abandon the public tender process and utilise statutory emergency powers to begin salvage operations without further delay.
“The people of Guyana deserve answers. The grieving families deserve closure. The victims deserve dignity,” Mahipaul stated. “History will judge not only the tragedy itself, but also how this government responded in its aftermath.”
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Nothing would be acceptable to the PNC whiners!!! Sole sourcing would have its own condemnation , the usual contract giving to friends & families , riddled with bribery & corruption : more so if the salvage doesn’t satisfy the whiners/provocateurs!!!!
What evidence are you looking for: you guys have written off the M V Barima as 87 years old’ & obsolete!!! It is expected the salvage will able to recover the missing 30 bodies!!!
Mahipaul please advise AZ MO to tender for the operation free of charge!!!
There is a possibility he may win the bid; if there is a problem he cannot be engaged due to his ‘extradition case’ then it can be done in your name with Az Mo financing the ‘salvage operation”!!!