Opposition Leader told to get his facts straight

Opposition Leader, Arnhim Eustace, has been advised to get his facts straight.

Chairman of the St.Vincent and the Grenadines Port Authority, Edwin Snagg, made the recommendation on Wednesday in the wake of questions asked by the Opposition Leader about a recently introduced Tug Service for the St.Vincent and the Grenadines Port Authority.

Eustace in a letter to the Prime Minister dated Wednesday, June 9, 2010, said he was concerned about the issue and needed answers to several questions.

“Was there a tender process? Was there an advertisement inviting proposals for this service in the interest of transparency and good governance?” Eustace asked.

He added that he also wanted the authorities to state why was it necessary to implement a Tug and Towerage charge? Eustace said that he also wanted to know, why didn’t the Ports Authority invest in a tug?

He said that he was unable to raise the issue earlier because he was unaware of it.

The new Tug Service surfaced on the Order Paper of the Friday, May 28, sitting of Parliament. Eustace stated by then, it was too late to ask questions about it.

Responding to Eustace’s call for transparency on the matter, Snagg said on matters of such importance, one must get their facts straight.

He said: “It’s so disappointing when we go to that kind of level here in SVG. Particularly when you want to come out with these kinds of things in public, one must get your facts.You must get it right.You can’t operate on hear say or comess…because this is a serious matter.

In an exclusive interview on Wednesday, Snagg, who is also the Director of Grenadines Affairs, emphasized that he wished to put the issue to rest because a tendering process had indeed been carried out.

He disclosed that the Tug Service for the Port Authority was awarded to W.J. Abbott & Sons, and an invitation for tenders was placed in newspapers here, including the SEARCHLIGHT newspapers of September 26, 2008, and October 10, 2008.

Snagg disclosed that on September 23, 2008, the Ports Authority Board gave the management permission to go ahead and put the Tug Service out to tender, as well as to set up a committee.

He stated the committee was headed by Mark Lulley, an Engineer at VINLEC and technical advisor to the Ports Authority’s Board. The other members were listed as Paul Kirby, former Ports Manager; R.Joseph, Chief Pilot at the Ports Authority, David Robin, Maritime Director; and Brenton Caine, Commander of the Coast.

According to Snagg, Somara SAS of Martnique, K Group Marine, W.J Abbott & Sons, and Coloured Fin Limited of Trinidad were the companies that submitted letters of interest.

He said all four were invited to a meeting on April 3, 2009, to make a presentation to the committee. However, while the other companies attended, Coloured Fin Limited did not appear.

The presentation, said Snagg, included the characteristics of the tug, the possible contractual and leasing arrangements, and a contingency plan in the event of mechanical failure.

By May 26, 2009, the committee received all proposals and held a meeting on June 2, 2009, when each proposal was rated.

Snagg told SEARCHLIGHT, Lulley at the Ports Authority’s meeting on June 16, 2009, advised that W.J. Abbott & Sons best met the ports’ need and should be considered as the best option.

Cabinet gave its approval on March 3, 2010, Snagg disclosed.

Snagg said over the last few years, an aggressive attempt has been made to bring the St.Vincent and the Grenadines Port Authority in line with the modern practices of other ports internationally.

Highlighting the many reasons for the implementation of such a service, he noted that St.Vincent and the Grenadines is the only country in the Caribbean that does not have a tug service.

Additionally, said Snagg, there are requirements from the international community for a greater level of efficiency at the ports.

Snagg added that vessels such as the Car Boat, when offloading at our ports, have to use a tug boat all the way from Martinique or St. Lucia.

The aging pier at Port Kingstown and a EC$15 million investment in a Gottwald Mobile Crane used at Campden Park were also identified as reasons for the need of a Tug Service.The Ports Authority has to protect the Gotwald Crane, Snagg explained.

“Given the age of this pier, we cannot afford to have ships hitting the pier. That is dangerous because that in itself will be very costly, not only for the shipping agents or ship owners but also for the Ports Authority,” he said

Snagg mentioned that in some instances, a fee of US$1,100 will be charged to vessels grossing 1,000 tonnes. The Ports Authority will receive a 10 per cent commission, he said.

“This in no way at all could affect the cost of goods and services,” said Snagg, adding that freight will not be increased because of the service.

“This is already included in the freight that was charged. When they put your vehicle on the boat in Japan your freight charge already includes the cost of the tug. It’s just that in St.Vincent and the Grenadines we didn’t have a service, but recognised the need for having such a service.

“In no way could they bring forward the argument that this is going to affect prices in the country.That is a dastardly lie and if such things happen, it’s dishonest of the persons who are trading,” said Snagg, adding that all shipping agents have been informed about the service.

When asked why didn’t the Ports Authority operate its own Tug Service, Snagg said: “A tug is a very expensive thing to purchase and to operate, as well as to maintain. As a matter of fact the Ports Authority thinks it’s in its best interest to have the service provided.”