Editorial: smudge over troubled water

Photo: Urmas Nemvalts

The Saaremaa Laevakompanii and Saaremaa/ Hiiumaa ferryboat connection is quite an odyssey. Over the years, plans have changed, ministers fallen, parties quarrelled. The discussions-protests-challenges-debates pose a material for dissection by generations to come.

Let’s herewith limit ourselves with events of yesterday. Economy ministry says Port of Tallinn won procurement, offering new ships and asking for little cash as compared to current operator Saaremaa Laevakompanii. Oh for a happy ending! Peace from 2016, for a decade...

Hold your horses, though: rivals have spotted procedural and essential errors. On top of that, conflict of interests has been detected at ministry of economy judging an offer by state company under its own wings. Previous challenges are pending. Concluding: Saaremaa Laevakompanii may be nice, but cannot be accused of being a good loser.

Not that they’ve done a lousy job. All they did is just become a monopoly. Monopoly, however, is one tricky game.

For «we the people», it’s no rocket science: all we want is smooth sailing and budget-friendly tickets. 

And we long for the honesty of a monopoly free world. And some free market and a little bit of healthy competition.

And for someone to please wipe away the smudge over our troubled westward water!