KUALA LUMPUR: Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) has agreed to provide progress reports on the littoral combat ship (LCS) project every three months.
Its chairman Datuk Nazim Rahman said the company would also work in tandem with the project monitoring committee co-chaired by the Treasury secretary-general and the Defence Ministry secretary-general for added governance.
“BNS credits the government for taking a decisive step in continuing with the project, which is a reflection of its firm commitment towards the enhancement of the country’s defence capabilities.“The project is not only vital to the security of our maritime border but also to the growth of our maritime economy,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Nazim said the company also welcomed the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to visit the naval base in Lumut of Perak as part of its proceedings on the construction progress of the Second-Generation Patrol Vessel (SGPV) with LCS capability.
“This is a step in the right direction and showcases the concerted efforts and steadfastness of all parties in ensuring that the LCS project is successfully delivered.
“With due considerations to the national significance of this project, BNS will focus all its efforts towards readying the first ship for sea acceptance trials by 2024,” he added.
It was reported that the Finance Ministry had established a special purpose vehicle to take over the parent company of BNS, responsible for the construction of the vessels.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan had said that periodic reports to the Cabinet would be prepared in accordance with the conditions set by the Auditor-General while periodic reporting to the Parliament would be done quarterly to ensure that the project could be monitored by all parties.
“This is necessary for us to achieve our intentions to continue the construction of the LCS,” he said.
The LCS project erupted in controversy after the PAC previously revealed that not a single ship had been completed even though the government had paid RM6.083bil to BNS.
