London: Wetleasing not affecting autonomy

TOBAGO House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Orville London yesterday dismissed assertions from the NAR that Tobago was missing out on a golden opportunity for greater autonomy in its affairs when vessels for its seabridge are wetleased by Central Government instead of being purchased by the THA. NAR Tobago chairman Christo Gift indicated yesterday that the party disagrees with the decision to wetlease vessels such as the MV Sonia and the newly-arrived fast ferry, the Cat, for the Tobago seabridge. Gift said Tobago should have more direct control over its shipping and the THA should be purchasing its own fleet instead of allowing Central Government to wetlease vessels for the seabridge.

The NAR Tobago chairman said this was connected to the issue of greater autonomy for Tobago in handling its affairs and if the THA were able to have greater control over matters pertaining to the seabridge,  the sister isle would be “sending a powerful message” that it was able to handle its own affairs. However in an immediate response, London said the wetleasing of vessels for the seabridge was a technical decision and had nothing to do with greater autonomy for Tobago. He explained that by wetleasing vessels like the Sonia and the Cat, both Government and the THA would be able to determine their suitability for the route.

London also explained that wetleasing the vessels also allows greater time for locals to be trained to operate them and provides a window for determining what are the socio-economic benefits that would be derived from having certain types of ships operating on the Tobago seabridge. He added that an outright purchase of a ship to satisfy short-term needs might not be practical and one could end up being saddled with an ineffective vessel and have to wait a long time to find another ship to replace it. The Chief Secretary said he was “very comforted” to see that statements about the seabridge no longer involved concerns about its efficiency, and it shows that Government and the THA took the right decision to wetlease MV Sonia and the Cat. He expressed optimism that a dedicated cargo vessel and another passenger ferry would be operating on the seabridge by March.

The Cat, which arrived in Port-of-Spain on Monday night, is currently undergoing the necessary checks and will make its maiden voyage to Tobago on Sunday. Works and Transport Minister Franklin Khan said the Tobago seabridge has been performing exceptionally well since the Sonia’s arrival and has dismissed UNC allegations of impropriety over the wetleasing of that ship. London also hinted that options for the THA to have a greater say in shipping matters are being considered and it could involve the creation of a company. Asked about London’s statement that security measures on the seabridge would be strengthened, Gift declined comment and said he needed to examine the matter more thoroughly.