The Vigilant the patrol remained docked for five years seeks buyer

An agreement has been reached between the Governments of Mauritius and India to replace the Vigilant patrol vessel of the national coast guard. However, the exercises tender for sale to international dealers specializing in the sale of ships, have been unsuccessful to date.

This is the point made by the Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, to a question from an opposition member Adil Ameer MEEA. He wanted to know the status of patrol of the National Coast Guard (NCG) commissioned in 1996 and why it is not used by the NCG.

Navin Ramgoolam said that the ship encountered mechanical problems on several occasions and incurred several major repairs at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, India, from 2000 to 2004. Despite this, The Vigilant has continued to have problems still mechanical in nature. That's why he stayed in port since March 2006, continued Navin Ramgoolam.

Also according to the head of government, the various attempts to repair the vessel were unsuccessful. A Board of Survey was also established in July 2007 under the aegis of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, to decide the fate of this ship.

In September 2009, the Board submitted its report to the police commissioner and recommended that some of the repairs be carried out to obtain a better price. Before an international dealer that specializes in the sale of ships does not care.

In June 2010, repairs at Taylor Smith Ltd, as recommended by the committee said, cost about Rs 1.9 million.

Replying to a supplementary question the Leader of the opposition, Paul Berenger, who wanted to know the total cost of repairs to the Vigilant, Navin Ramgoolam has advanced a total of about Rs 66 million, disbursed from 1997 to 2010.

Moreover, the Prime Minister said that until now, three years of tender has been undertaken by the Police Commissioner, to decide the fate of the Vigilant.

In July 2010, eleven international dealers specializing in selling naval ships were asked to submit their bids. At the close of the tender exercise October 6, 2010, no proposal had been submitted. The second exercise was conducted in November 2010. Again, no offer has been registered. For the third attempt that is underway, the closing date of the exercise was scheduled for July 20.

Arrangements have been made to replace the Vigilant by a patrol modern and new. During the visit of Prime Minister of Mauritius, in October 2005 in the Great Peninsula, an agreement was signed with the Indian government to acquire a new patrol. This is currently under construction by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders Indian society and Engineers Ltd..

The government of India has awarded a grant of $ 10 million and a credit line of $ 48.5 million through the EXIM Bank of India, the Mauritian government to support the order. Delivery of the vessel is scheduled for September 2014.

The contract for the construction of MCGS Vigilant between the Government of Mauritius and the Western Canada Marine Group was signed February 17, 1994. The government had reaffirmed its willingness to take this ship built in Chile at a cost of Rs 322 million by a Canadian consortium.