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Another delay in the delivery of Mine Attack Protected (MRAP) vehicles to Haiti means Haitian police will have to wait even longer for vehicles they desperately need to protect their dwindling forces from brutal and well-armed Haitian gangs.
The manufacturer has confirmed to CBC News that the earliest potential delivery date is May 3 – and that is subject to change.
Mississauga-based INKAS signed a contract to deliver 18 armored vehicles to Haiti last year. The contracted delivery date was then extended to the last day of 2022. But on that date, only six MRAPs had been delivered.
Since then, three others have been transported to the island by the Canadian Air Force. Half of the contracts remain unfulfilled.
Although Prime Minister Justin Trudeau often mentions the vehicle when discussing Canadian aid to Haiti, it is not a gift of Canadian aid. Instead, they were the subject of a commercial contract with a private Canadian company and the Haitian government paid full price for the equipment.
Ottawa has provided a heavy-duty C17 Globemaster transport plane to airlift vehicles to the Haitian National Police as soon as they become available.
The Haitian government points the finger
The postponement has fueled tensions between Canada and Haiti and between the Haitian government and the Haitian national police, who find themselves losing a battle with armed gangs that are rampant in the capital Port-au-Prince.
March 2023 was the worst month in the recent crisis of murders, kidnappings and areas lost to gang control.
Gangs have access to guns ranging in power up to .50-caliber, while the Haitian police rely heavily on the few armored vehicles they have.
Last month, the acting minister of state justice, Emmelie Prophète-Milcé, accused INKAS of not respecting the terms of the contract.
“Suppliers are not keeping their promises,” Prophète-Milcé told Haitian radio Magik 9.
The manufacturer is back
INKAS responded to the criticism with a harsh rebuke to the Haitian media.
“We are pained to know that certain news outlets in Haiti believe they have a free license to spread malicious lies about our organization, about our activities, and most of all about our obligations,” wrote chairman Margarita Simkin.
“We always try to keep a low profile, and help the people of Haiti and the Haitian National Police, not to the best of our ability, but more.
“With production impaired due to global supply chain disruptions, affecting every major automotive manufacturer, we have come out of the way with good moves – we have provided a variety of additional Armored Personnel Carriers, armored vehicles, high-altitude drones and various, training engagements long term, as well as vehicle maintenance for the Haitian National Police – all free for the Haitian state.
“All of the above is easily overlooked by every two ‘journalists,’ armchair commentators and politicians who try to make trouble, in the hope of increasing political capital, or perhaps dancing with a string of criminals.
Simkin also disputed Haitian reports that INKAS had been paid in full and up front for the vehicle. He forced the company to lose money on the contract.
Supply chain issues
Speaking to CBC News earlier this year, INKAS company officials cited supply chain issues as the main cause of the failure to meet the terms of the contract.
“The war in Ukraine has affected manufacturers like Volkswagen Audi. It turns out that wiring harnesses for many vehicles that Volkswagen Audi produces are made in Ukraine,” INKAS managing partner Eugene Gerstein said.
“More often than not, the vehicle is ready but doesn’t have a part that can cost $100, like a sensor. Without those sensors, the vehicle doesn’t work.
“In our case, for example, the transmission speed sensor was one of the problems we encountered.
“We are doing everything in our power to speed up the manufacturing process. We are getting the parts we need from anywhere, from all over the world… working around the clock in shifts. Our procurement department is chasing parts all over the world.
“It’s trench warfare trying to get a part that other people are trying to get.”
‘More’
Gerstein told CBC News that the company is working to resolve the issue and expects to deliver additional MRAPs by the end of March.
If that doesn’t happen, Gerstein told the CBC that the next delivery date will be this month.
“We’ve run into more issues – the estimated date at this point is faster than mid-April,” he said in an email.
“We have planned to rebuild the entire electrical array by hand. Since the defect also affects the actual connectors as well (which is very unique), we removed the factory connectors from items like the speedometer and added the available styles, and then added another side to each harness, piece by piece a piece.”
But INKAS has now delayed the expected next shipment again.
“We’ve had a setback — some things we want to use and need are still missing,” Gerstein said in an email. “We put in play an alternative strategy, but it boils down to lead times from outside suppliers.
“Four vehicles will be ready on May 3rd. The next three will be ready on May 24th, then the last 3 on June 14th.”
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