Govt scraps $billion Coast Guard vessel (OPV) deal

[Dizzy28]

So is faulty equipment yet warner confident that it would be functional in 10 days? Right right. Manning really say that the drug cartel wanted him out yes.

How manning could say that about his pals boi?

So u saying that patrick manning have a big drugs link?

Did he ever do anything about Mr. Big??

[Habit7]

"Mr. Big" was in relation to the grenade bombings in POS which quietly came to a halt and all threat removed.

I wish when ppl reference that they don't do it in a context of a govt's acquaintance with a known criminal but in the context of the curtain being slightly peeled back on sensitive intelligence.

[Dizzy28]

I merely used it as an example of the equal ineptitude of the past government when it came to detection and action as regards to crime. This Government is bad yes but they no worse off than the PNM was doing.

[Habit7]

Actually with the removal of SAUTT and even with a 3 month SoE, we have lower crime detection rate than when PNM was last in office.

But don't let that inform your feelings towards this government, let us allow them a complete 5 years of bad decisions before we properly juxtapose their handling of crime.

Can sport reduce Trinidad’s high murder rate?
By Nina Robinson
BBC News, Port of Spain

In a bid to tackle Trinidad and Tobago's high crime rate, the government is investing hundreds of millions of dollars on sports projects and upgrading sports facilities. Will involving more young people in sport discourage them from joining gangs?
On a basketball court in Trinidad's capital city of Port of Spain, young men shoot hoops as a way to let out their frustrations and fill their spare time. But the government is hoping that sport can be used to deliver a lot more than exercise.
Life is cheap on the streets of some of Trinidad's urban crime hotspots. One area notorious for drug gangs is Laventille.
"I got shot in my arm twice two months ago," says a 19-year-old man who does not want to give his name.
"You will hear gunshots at night - they even fly into people's apartment windows. People know not to come out at night. That's how life is."
According to the UN, murders in Trinidad and Tobago increased five-fold in the decade up to 2008 - the porous coastline led to drugs and guns seeping into communities.
In August 2011, the government declared a state of emergency in six areas in Trinidad as a response to a spate of killings and spike in gang activity.

'Healthy lifestyle'
The new man in charge of leading the fight against crime in Trinidad and Tobago is Jack Warner, who was the former vice-president of the international footballing body, Fifa.
He resigned from that post last year amid allegations of bribery and corruption.
Mr Warner now holds one of the most powerful cabinet posts in the Trinidad and Tobago government, as the country's National Security Minister.
And he believes investing in sport is key to tackling the country's high crime rate.
"Besides giving people a healthy lifestyle... [sport] gives young people a chance on the field of sport and not in some drug den," he says.
That is why the government is spending 1.8bn Trinidad and Tobago dollars ($300m) over the next two years to build recreation centres around the country, he says.
"The whole object[ive] is getting young people involved because we believe quite sincerely that there is this positive relationship between sport and crime."
Mr Warner brushes off any allegations surrounding him from his time at Fifa and says is confident that he is the man who can reduce Trinidad's murder rate.
"These [Fifa] allegations have been following me around for the last 20 years and I still ask them to prove what they have said.
"I sleep very soundly at night because my hands are clean and my conscience is very clear."


Glamour
But not everyone is convinced that Mr Warner's new emphasis on sport in the fight against crime will be money well spent.
Sherma Wilson is a spokeswoman for the Beetham Gardens community, a poor neighbourhood in the capital where Mr Warner recently launched a new multi-million dollar sports project.
The street basketball league, Hoop of Life, was launched with more than a touch of glamour - it included a surprise visit by American NBA basketball star Shaquille O'Neal.
"I blinked my eyes, I blinked again and I rubbed them a bit and I said my gosh - Shaq!" says Ms Wilson.
But her surprise turned to dismay when she found out how $1.5m had been spent bringing him to Trinidad.
Mr Warner insists the fee was paid for by "private enterprise", but Ms Wilson says she is worried that money is not being spent wisely.
"He was here for a day and now he's gone... was it really worth it? We could have used that money to fund a basketball clinic.
"Sport is such a wonderful thing, a wonderful experience. We really shouldn't be using it conveniently for our own political interests."
Others in Trinidad also believe that sport is being used as a smokescreen to grab headlines rather than tackling the deep-rooted causes of crime.

Prize money
Wayne Chance works to rehabilitate ex-prisoners by providing accommodation, help with jobs and counselling.
"In this country, whatever fiddle the government plays, you will find that a lot of people jump and follow suit. If the truth be told, criminals are exposed to sports, they have the opportunity to play. But they don't want to."
Mr Chance believes that much more than investment in sport needs to be done to reduce crime.
"Those individuals who end up in gangs come from certain backgrounds which lack family bonds and this is what attracts them. In sport there is a team spirit but there are limitations [to it]. A different kind of energy drives the gangs," he says.
It's too early to see whether sports projects like Hoop of Life will take young people out of gangs and into teams. But another sports league which has been running for over a year across the country works along similar lines - the anti-crime football league.
It's a league which covers all the 41 constituencies of Trinidad and Tobago with a total of between five and 12 teams within each community.
Ian Syrus is in charge of running it and believes that during the few months that games are played, the prospect of winning the $24,500 prize money regulates the behaviour of players on the pitch.
"The money has a lot to do with it. They know it is 150,000 T&T dollars at stake so that alone will deter them from doing anything that could spoil their chances of winning that kind of money," he says.
But he admits that he doesn't know how last year's winners spent their personal prize money. In communities where a lot of money is made selling drugs, there is no monitoring of players to see what they are doing for the rest of the year when the league is not in play. Therefore there is no way of knowing for sure, if sport is continuing to have an impact on deterring crime.

Police youth clubs
A match between two teams is underway in Beetham Gardens at night, under the floodlights of a small tarmacked pitch. The sound system is blaring Jamaican dance-hall music and locals are gathered around the sides to watch.
When a police car comes around the corner briefly, one of the players runs to hide. Sherma Wilson says he is known to the police. "We wish it were different here," she says.
"The relationship between the community and police is very stand-offish. Do you know the police look upon each one of us as though we are criminals?"
Curtis Paul, the superintendent of police community relations in Trinidad, says police youth clubs are "one of the main crime prevention tools for young people".
He says the police are expanding the number of police youth clubs next year from 50 to 70 to organise more sport and cultural activities.
He believes this will create "harmony and bring the police and people closer together".
After the police drive off, the match gets under way and passes off peacefully without any gang disputes spilling out onto the pitch.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-19846197

[PapaC]

Here is the BBC Radio program related to your article.
It's actually playing right now on BBC Radio.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p010jytp

[eliteauto]

are there any updates on the vessels from Colombia?

[UML]

*in best Manning voice*

"I cannot disclose information with respect to national security issues"

or I lost my voice because of laryngitis

[kcgilll]

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/TT- ... 03671.html

The T&T Coast Guard is getting these naval vessels
By the Multimedia Desk

Story Created: Apr 29, 2015 at 12:16 PM ECT

Story Updated: Apr 29, 2015 at 12:29 PM ECT
Statement - The Ministry of National Security and Damen Shipyards on Wednesday officially signed the Shipbuilding Contracts and Overall Agreement for the construction of Naval Vessels for the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force’s Coast Guard.

At the Signing Ceremony which took place at the Ministry of National Security, Temple Court 1 Building, Permanent Secretary Mr. Carl A. Francis signed on behalf of the Ministry of National Security while Mr. Sander van Oord signed on behalf of Damen Shipyards.

Trinidad and Tobago has ordered the vessels covered by the contract to enhance the country’s maritime security and to establish the foundations of a Maritime Security Wall, which will create and sustain an effective presence at all levels of Trinidad and Tobago’s maritime domain.

The Vessels include:
1. Four (4 ) Damen Standard Patrol Coastal Patrol Vessels:
 51 metres long, 9 metres wide
 Speed is in excess of 28 knots
 Range exceeds 2500 nautical miles
 Equipped with an advanced surveillance system
 Deploys an on-board 11m interceptor plus a short-range 7.5m Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB)
 Will patrol coastal waters but is capable of operating in Trinidad and Tobago’s EEZ
 Uses a unique Sea-Axe design to dramatically enhance seakeeping in rough waters.
2. Two (2) Damen Fast Crew Supply 5009 Utility Vessels:
 54 metres long, 10 metres wide
 Speed is in excess of 20 knots
 Range exceeds 3000 nautical miles
 Can be used for a variety of roles – support of interceptor operations, disaster relief, search and rescue as well as limited coastal patrol
3. Six (6) Damen Interceptor DI 1102 Interceptors:
 11 metres long, 2 meters wide
 Speed is in excess of 53 knots
 Capable of being embarked on and deployed from the Coastal Patrol Vessels and Utility Vessels
Since 1927, Damen Shipyards have built high quality vessels for civil, military and paramilitary purposes. Such vessels are in service with the Coast Guards of the United States of America, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, The Bahamas, Jamaica and Barbados, among other countries.

[eliteauto]

so... the Gov't lied about the Colombian and Chinese ships then?

[cornfused]

Unless the Chinese or Columbians have moved to the Netherlands or have bought over that ship yard . Just another case of political foot in mouth , instead of leadership and management talk.

http://products.damen.com/en/ranges/stan-patrol/stan-patrol-5009

http://products.damen.com/en/ranges/interceptor/interceptor-1102

Defense and Coast Guard peeps what you think ?

[16 cycles]

netherlands know their $hit when it comes to the water/boats etc....

sidenote:we got some xbows in country - non-military...sexy as F...

[Country_Bookie]

So the next govt gonna scrap this order when they come into power. Then we'll get 5 more years of legal wranglings, big talk and negotiations and nothing until year 5. Meanwhile the borders remain unprotected.

If I were a cynic I'd say it's almost like both parties have financiers who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.

[PapaC]

Saw a tweet about the unveiling of the TTS Point Lisas, the first of the Damen boats that were bought to replace the OPV's was delivered today. Nut not much in the media, only hearing about Fifa.
Any body know anything?

[janfar]

http://www.tugspotters.com/site/content ... int-lisas/

[Hyperion]

Saw a tweet about the unveiling of the TTS Point Lisas, the first of the Damen boats that were bought to replace the OPV's was delivered today. Nut not much in the media, only hearing about Fifa.
Any body know anything?

I think it dock in Staubles since last week but has not been officially handed over as yet.

[zoom rader]

So the next govt gonna scrap this order when they come into power. Then we'll get 5 more years of legal wranglings, big talk and negotiations and nothing until year 5. Meanwhile the borders remain unprotected.

If I were a cynic I'd say it's almost like both parties have financiers who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.

What next government, this not Guyana

[Habit7]

Govt borrowing $478m to buy patrol vessels
Published on May 31, 2015, 9:44 pm AST
By Asha Javeed

The Government ordered 12 vessels from Dutch Damen Shipyards for TT$1.358 billion for the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard without the money in hand to pay for them.

It accepted one vessel - the TTS Point Lisas - which Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar toured last Wednesday when it was docked at the Port of Spain Waterfront, without being able to make a downpayment.

The Government needs an immediate US$75 million to pay for six of the vessels.

And it will go to Parliament this week to secure it.

In the proposed Variation Appropriation Bill, the Ministry of National Security is seeking $478 million.

The Note recalls that "Cabinet agreed to source funding in the amount of US$75 million as a downpayment to ensure the delivery of naval assets. Pending finalisation of financing agreements with the preferred financial institution, the ministry requires funding in the short term in order to adhere to obligations to the vendor".

The Government's contract with Damen is for four Damen Stan Patrol 5009 coastal patrol vessels, two Damen Fast Crew Supply 5009 utility vessels, and six Damen Interceptor DI 1002 boats.

Persad-Bissessar, in her address, had said the second vessel - the TTS La Brea - would arrive in T&T tomorrow with the other four interceptor vessels due in July, with final receipt of all 12 by year-end.

Howai: We are

borrowing to buy boats



Finance Minister Larry Howai said in response to e-mailed questions on Saturday: "Twelve ships have been ordered. One has so far been delivered. Another is due this week and a further one together with three interceptors in the next month. The payment process is not a problem. The payment to be made now is a downpayment on the 12 vessels. The Government has suppressed a number of expenditures over the past year and therefore has a number of options in the Appropriation Bill.

"We are borrowing to acquire the boat and we expect to complete the transaction in the week of June 22. There was a delay in doing so as there was not an appropriation in the budget and we shall correct that by making an appropriation in the bill that will go to Parliament next week."

Howai added:" This bill will be a variation rather than a supplementation so what that means is that we shall suppress expenditure (in keeping with our strategy to limit expenditure this year) to allow for the completion of the transaction without increasing the budgeted appropriation."

The Express understands that the Government's decision to vary its budgetary expenditure to accommodate the cost of the vessels is because it could not conclude a loan from a European Development Bank to fund the transaction on time.

Informed sources explained that it had approached First Citizens to secure a bond but was unable to do so because it would impact on the country's debt ceiling.

Debt ceiling not yet reached



According to the Central Bank data, as of March 2015, the Government had not yet reached its ceiling.

For the Development Loans Act, the legal limit is TT$30 billion and at the end of March 2015, the figure was TT$27.3 billion.

For the External Loans Act the legal limit is TT$15 billion and at the end of March 2015, the figure was TT$9.3 billion.

The Government then explored the option of having another State enterprise - the National Infrastructure Property Development Company (Nipdec) - take a loan of its behalf from First Citizens to acquire the vessels, as a bridge facility until the developmental loan was secured.

Howai confirmed this:

"We did explore the possibility of using Nipdec to acquire the vessel (as they do acquisitions for the Government) but, as I indicated in the previous e-mail, we are proposing to deal with it in the Appropriation Bill instead.

"We have not paid for the vessel as we need to obtain the approval first. In fact, I should add that once approval is received we don't necessarily need the loan as our cash position can allow for the acquisition without necessarily borrowing but we shall complete the loan as I want to ensure that we retain a good cash buffer," he said.

PM: Boats to patrol coasts



Persad-Bissessar had boasted that the vessels "will immediately get to work to boost the capability of the Defence Force to allow T&T more effective management of our coastal waters. The vessels will also patrol the waters of our country's exclusive economic zone".

She had also said that the 12 vessels cost less than the three offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) that were ordered by the PNM Government.

In the arbitration between Trinidad and Tobago and the UK firm British Aerospace Engineering (BAE) Systems, T&T was compensated $1.382 billion.

It was argued that the $1.382 billion settlement was simply a refund equivalent to the £133 million sale by BAE to Brazil.

And far from earning money from this arbitration, this country had actually lost - not in settlement but in dollars spent.

During his campaigning for the 2010 elections, Manning had posited that the drug lords had wanted him out of power because of his goal to eradicate the drug trade.

Three months after assuming office, the People's Partnership Government cancelled the order for the three OPVs on the basis of their missed deadlines and their weaponry did not conform to contract specifications.

In its 2011 International Narcotics Control Strategy Reports, the United States Government noted: "However, the new government has de-emphasised regional efforts and assistance programme, including some security-related projects that would impact counter-narcotics efforts, in order to focus greater attention on domestic issues."

On the OPVs, the Country Report on T&T stated: "There are no plans to supplant that deep-water patrol capability in the short-term."

It said the Government "struggles to effectively co-ordinate and implement its drug-control assets, and maintenance issues, corruption, and gaps in the legislative framework remain challenges."

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150531 ... ssels#main

[trichards80]

Another victory for the PPG! Achieving what the pnm can only promise!

[rfari]

And didnt the original opv deal include licences to build and sell identical ships? Thereby aiding in the diversification of the economy?

[Redman]

Rfari
why yuh injecting sense into the thread.

FYI we deal in headlines,sound bites and optics..

Please leave substance out of this.

[RASC]

Oil and Gas infinite bai... Just like the natural spring at Forress Park

[Habit7]

PP sheep then: OPV too expensive, the war on the land not the sea, TTCG too corrupt

PP sheep now: well done Kamla!

[Redman]

if we recovered the 1.3B from the OPV contract-why are we now borrowing money to buy the replacement for the cheaper alternatives??

[Habit7]

if we recovered the 1.3B from the OPV contract-why are we now borrowing money to buy the replacement for the cheaper alternatives??

I keep seeing this all over social media. PNM mortgaged the OPVs so when the refund was giving, it went to servicing the mortgage.

[Redman]

well I eh on social media

but thx..

[janfar]

Allyuh could say what allyuh want... this is a wicked pic...



http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150611 ... on-vessels

[zoom rader]

Allyuh could say what allyuh want... this is a wicked pic...



http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150611 ... on-vessels

Awaits for PNM mentality to mash these up and then say defective vessels brought.

[UML]

Four helicopters for 2.1 billion by PNM?

Like u eh see the PNM pay $1.3 Billion for ONLY 3 vessels

and the PPG pay the same for 12 or wah?!!!!

PNM have skeletons in the closet still to come out

[Redman]

Yes because it's better to over pay for box drains and other contract work...yuh could get a cut

[Rory Phoulorie]

Four helicopters for 2.1 billion by PNM?

Like u eh see the PNM pay $1.3 Billion for ONLY 3 vessels

and the PPG pay the same for 12 or wah?!!!!

PNM have skeletons in the closet still to come out

Serious question here. Are the specifications of the vessels that were to be purchased by the PNM and those purchased by the PPG the same? Because if they are not, then you are comparing pomerac and chataigne.