The government is optimistic that the eventual sale of the vessel – Alfa Nero – will
top the US$60 million sale price that has been placed on the vessel.
The assessment comes from the General Manager of the Antigua and Barbuda Port
Authority, Darwin Telemaque, during a press conference held at the new Port
Authority offices on Wednesday.
Telemaque said the latest valuation placed on the vessel estimated it at an official
valuation of US$115 million with a For Sale price of US$60 million. He
anticipates that the government will earn more when the sealed bids are opened,
and the highest bidder can purchase the vessel.
“Our plan is that we will exceed that price and I believe that we will!” he
remarked.
Telemaque reported that there has been widespread interest in the sale of the
vessel, coupled with media coverage from many of the leading media houses in
both the United States and Britain. “We have had the BBC, USA Today,
Bloomberg, New York Times, Daily Mail, and Daily Telegraph along with
inquiries from other sources such as yachting magazines and YouTube channels. I
have had people calling my number from practically every continent. It’s
unbelievable the wide range of interest that has been expressed in this vessel from
a global and a media perspective,” he stated.
He added that this level of interest gives a sense that what happens with the Alfa
Nero is being seen as a global event. “I was shocked by that,” he declared.
He explained that the Alfa Nero is a famous yacht, and these vessels are not built
quickly, so when a person can acquire one in a relatively short time and at a good
price it creates a level of excitement.
The ABPA General Manager has been keen to project an image of openness and
transparency in how the government is moving to dispose of the Alfa Nero through
the Port Authority. Careful planning has gone into announcing the opening of bids,
the acceptance and clearance of the bids through a process that also involved the
US government, and final selection of the winning bid slated for Friday morning at
the Treasury Building.
Telemaque said the eyes of the world are on Antigua and Barbuda and it is
important for the country’s reputation and its international image that things are
done right.
Additionally, he said the Port Authority has been guided every step of the way by a
team of excellent lawyers attached to the Attorney General’s Chambers. He is
confident, he added, that they have all
