PPP DISREGARDED EXPERT ADVICE ON NEW NORTH-WEST FERRY — PATTERSON

What this source establishes

An HGPTV interview in which former Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson alleges that two technical evaluations recommended a costlier, better-designed ferry than the MV Ma Lisha, and that procurement reverted to the cheaper vessel after the PPP/C returned to office in August 2020: 'Immediately on the PPP's return, they reverted to the cheaper version.' He gives the two bids under Indian financing as about US$15.3 million and close to US$12 million, and says the coalition's plan to semi-retire the Barima to the Berbice River was never implemented. The underlying evaluations are unpublished. The report notes Edghill maintained no report declared the ferry unseaworthy.

Key claims

• Two bids received under Indian financing: about US$15.3 million and close to US$12 million
• Technical experts recommended the higher-priced proposal for superior design and capability; a second independent assessment after challenge reached the same conclusion
• Patterson says procurement reverted to the cheaper vessel after the PPP/C returned to office in August 2020
• MV Ma Lisha built by India's Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited for about US$12.7 million, commissioned 2023
• The coalition plan was to semi-retire the Barima to the Berbice River for one or two years; never implemented
• Edghill maintained no report declared the ferry unseaworthy and it was within its maintenance cycle

Quotations

• “Immediately on the PPP's return, they reverted to the cheaper version.”
• “the more expensive vessel”

Prior warnings recorded

• David Patterson, former Minister of Public Infrastructure, in an interview with HGPTV Nightly News published 21 July 2026 (i.e. AFTER the disaster, but describing pre-disaster technical advice): two separate technical evaluations under the APNU+AFC administration recommended the more expensive of two Indian-financed ferry bids on grounds of superior design and capability, and a second independent assessment reached the same conclusion after the lower bidder challenged the decision. Patterson says procurement reverted to the cheaper vessel after the PPP/C returned to office in August 2020. NOTE: this is a post-disaster allegation about pre-disaster advice; the underlying technical evaluations have not been published and this archive has not seen them.

Vessel facts recorded

• fact: MV Ma Lisha built by India's Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited for approximately US$12.7 million; commissioned 2023 for the Georgetown-to-Region One route
• source: https://www.hgptv.com/ppp-disregarded-expert-advice-on-new-north-west-ferry-patterson/
• fact: Under the APNU+AFC administration two bids were received for ferry construction under Indian financing: one at approximately US$15.3 million, the competing bid close to US$12 million
• source: https://www.hgptv.com/ppp-disregarded-expert-advice-on-new-north-west-ferry-patterson/
• fact: The coalition's plan was to 'semi-retire' the MV Barima once the new ferry arrived, transferring her temporarily to the Berbice River for limited service for one or two years; the plan was not implemented
• source: https://www.hgptv.com/ppp-disregarded-expert-advice-on-new-north-west-ferry-patterson/

This page is a research summary prepared for comment and review. It is not the article. Copyright in the original remains with HGPTV Nightly News (Guyana); the full text is held only in the private research corpus from which this archive was compiled. Follow the link above to read it at the source.