RF Government has postponed the acquisition of two high-speed passenger-carrying hydrofoils of Kometa 120M design for the second time, according to the Order No 143 dated 1 February 2023 published on the official website for legal information.
The newly signed document introduces amendments into the previous one (No 1671 dated 25 December 2018) according to which the Cabinet of Ministers provided State Transport Leasing Company with a subsidy of RUB 5.9 billion for capital investment into the purchase of civil ships for further lasing out under the Marine and River transport programme.
The subsidy was to be spent for acquisition of 11 dry cargo ships of river/sea class, Project RSD59, and two high-speed passenger-carrying hydrofoils of Kometa 120M design. The dry cargo ships were delivered in time, between 2019 and 2021. As for passenger ships, they were initially planned for acquisition in 2021. Then the acquisition was postponed for 2022, and now – for 2023.
The cost of one hydrofoil is estimated at RUB 575 million. The subsidy for two Kometa ships was RUB 900 million. According to a supplement to the Order, the remaining RUB 250 million will be covered by off-budget sources in 2023.