Six years ago this week Argentina’s
icebreaker ‘Almirante Irizar’ and symbol of the country’s presence in Antarctica
caught fire and was an almost loss. The government pledged to have the vessel
back sailing in a couple of years but now it has surfaced that only 50% of
repairs have been completed and the whole enterprise is involved in deep
controversy.
Argentine Defence minister Arturo Puricelli has promised that next
year the emblematic icebreaker will begin sea trials, but according to
congressional reports it is hard to see this happening given claims of
operational errors, administrative irregularities and even probably acts
of corruption.
Opposition lawmakers have stated that with all the money invested so
far in the repairs, over a hundred million dollars, a new icebreaker
could have been purchased and all the problems facing the Argentine
Antarctic campaign since the fire back in 2007 could have been overcome.
The lawmakers claim that this month the technical advisor of the
Tandanor shipyard where the Irizar is under repairs was removed
following complaints about the disarray of the whole operation.
Likewise at the end of December Minister Puricelli rescinded the
contract with Swiss ABB arguing the work budget was excessive. However
it was also revealed that the ABB budget had to cover initial errors
committed when repair works started. Anyhow ABB is considering demanding
the Argentine state for breach of contract.
Under the original contract sea trials should have taken place 17
October 2011 with Cristina Fernandez and Nestor Kirchner on board, but
the death of Kirchner and a cabinet reshuffle forced a suspension of the
whole ceremony.
Opposition lawmakers anticipated they would be asking the Argentine
ministry of defence an urgent appraisal of the situation, the real state
or repairs, budget management and who are ultimately responsible for
the delay and over expenditure.
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