MARAD says no firm selected as yet to raise MV Barima

Aug 08, 2026 News

…as pressure mounts over secret invitation sent to Dutch company

(Kaieteur News) – The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) on Friday rejected claims that a company has already been selected to salvage the MV Barima, insisting that the procurement process for the vessel’s recovery remains open and transparent.

In a statement, MARAD said that since August 2, it has publicly advertised an Expression of Interest inviting qualified salvage companies to submit proposals, with the process advertised across state and private media as well as MARAD’s social media platforms. The department said the call for proposals closes on Friday, August 14, 2026.

“The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) wishes to clarify that no individual, company, or entity has been selected to undertake the salvaging of the MV Barima,” MARAD.

MARAD said reports suggesting an entity has already been chosen, or is being considered ahead of the formal process, are false and described such claims as an attempt to create public mischief. The department maintained that any selection will be made strictly through the public procurement process, in keeping with Guyana’s laws.

“MARAD, therefore, strongly rejects any report or claim suggesting that an entity has already been selected or is being considered. These reports are FALSE and MISLEADING and are designed to create public mischief. MARAD assures that there will be no selection outside of the public procurement procedure which is underway,” the statement said.

The statement comes after a report published by Kaieteur News on August 5 stated that government quietly approached a Dutch salvage firm weeks before the official bidding process was opened. According to the report, sources connected to the government said the administration had “invited” Koole Onshore and Koole Offshore (KMS), a Netherlands-headquartered firm with a base in Suriname, to submit a proposal to raise the sunken ferry.

Kaieteur News reported that it had obtained a leaked 13-page proposal from KMS dated July 28, 2026 — several days before government opened the competitive bidding process on August 2. The report noted this timing raised questions about whether a firm had already been chosen before the public tender was launched.

The proposal reportedly stated that KMS had been invited by the Government of Guyana, through MARAD, to submit a bid for the righting and recovery of the MV Barima, which capsized and sank off the Essequibo Coast on July 18. The firm reportedly said its goal was to recover the vessel intact, given the ongoing investigation into the tragedy, and quoted a cost of US$8 million for the job, backed by its ISO certification and previous casualty-removal work for the Guyanese government on the Demerara River.

According to the report, KMS proposed a six-to-seven-week timeline for the operation, broken into mobilisation, survey and diving, lifting and securing the vessel, and demobilisation. The firm’s approach reportedly involved three phases: survey and inspection, controlled buoyancy-assisted righting, and heavy-lift recovery and transport. The report said it was not clear whether other companies had been similarly approached ahead of the official tender.

The vessel, which is sitting in soft mud at a depth of roughly 13 to 15 metres, has been the subject of a formal Request for Proposals issued by MARAD and the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation, which superseded earlier plans to establish a memorial site for victims of the disaster.

The RFP calls for interested firms to submit corporate profiles, evidence of relevant salvage experience over the past five to 10 years, a technical approach that protects forensic evidence for the Commission of Inquiry, details of personnel and equipment, a proposed timeline, and confirmation of insurance and safety compliance.

MARAD has not directly addressed the specific claims regarding the leaked KMS proposal, but reiterated in its statement that no selection has been made outside the ongoing public procurement procedure.

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MARAD, MV Barima, salvage

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