CJIA Admin Building project: Meet deadline or get subcontractor – Edghill to contractor as Govt rejects further 3-month extension request

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill has rejected a further three-month extension request from Avinash Contracting & Scrap Metal Incorporated for completion of the Administrative Building of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
Instead, the minister has instructed the contractor to either increase its workforce or bring in a subcontractor to meet the June 30, 2025, deadline.
During a site visit on Tuesday, Edghill made it clear that delays will not be tolerated.
“If you cannot source the labour, you’ll have to subcontract the people who could get this done. I’m working with June 30th. I’m not going to September. That’s our agreement, and we said we have to get an early warning. The airport has signalled, by way of writing to me as the minister, that we are having challenges and you are in a greenfield situation where you don’t have flight difficulties to work around,” the Minister said sternly.

Avinash Construction, which is responsible for constructing the airport’s new Administrative Building, reported that the project is only 50 percent complete. The contractor cited labour shortages as the primary reason for requesting an extension until September 2025.
However, Edghill dismissed this justification, pointing out that the company had previously committed to accelerating work.
The contract was already extended once, with the initial deadline pushed to December 2023. The Government now expects full completion by mid-2025, and Edghill made it clear that another delay is unacceptable.
“We agreed last time when we met here that we are accelerating work to save the time. All right. The airport is supposed to give me early warning signals if you’re going to finish or not finish. The airport has written in February to indicate that it doesn’t look like we are going to be on schedule for the June 30th. The June 30th. At our last meeting, they had indicated or proposed completion on June 30th. Yes, but now you’re telling me September,” Edghill reminded.
Edghill also challenged the contractor’s project management approach, stating that multiple aspects of the construction — such as electrical, plumbing, and glazing — should be executed simultaneously instead of sequentially.
“Electrical, plumbing, we could have things being done simultaneously. A man building a regular house could get a plumber and the electrician working simultaneously. We can’t do this thing sequentially and push him back time.
“I don’t want any disappointments. My president starts to work very early in the morning, before contractors. So, if it means that you gotta start to work early, he’s setting an example of how we have to implement things in Guyana,” he added.
The new Administration Building being constructed by Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal Incorporated to the tune of $890 million will house over 300 airport staff when completed. In addition to this pertinent piece of infrastructure, works are ongoing on the CJIA’s new Commercial Centre, VIP Lounge, tarmac or aircraft parking areas, and improved baggage handling facility.