Govt will not accept CJIA in current state – President Ali

Expansion project

…says answers have to be provided for incompetence, mismanagement

The Cheddi Jagan International Airport expansion project is coming in for harsh criticism once again with President Dr Irfaan Ali saying that his People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government will not accept the airport in its current state.

He made the comment while addressing the Annual General Meeting of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) on Monday.
“I am going to visit the airport because somebody has to answer. We are not going to accept the airport as it is. We cannot accept the airport as it is. That was not what the Guyanese people signed on for and it cannot meet the objectives that we signed on on a new airport for,” the President said.
Just last Friday, new Public Works Minister Juan Edghill along with his Junior Minister Deodat Indar led a team to inspect the expansion project where the actual degree of corruption and mismanagement of the project was unravelled. It has also been riddled with corrective and incomplete works.

Two years after the project was slated to be completed, it has now been taken over by the PPP/C Government in an incomplete and downgraded state. In fact, the Granger-led APNU/AFC Administration had settled for a denigrated design while paying more than the allocated $150 million.
Minister Edghill had told the media that they are seeking to have the defective works rectified and ensure strict compliance with the model design that was proposed. It was related that Guyana received a “renovated” airport as opposed to what it was bargained for.

“The concerns are many. The problems are many but I think what is of great importance now is to see that this project is completed in keeping with the agreed scope that they have signed on to…Outside this arrangement is the bigger picture of how this project has been mismanaged and I would dare say corrupted. What should’ve been a new airport has turned out to be a renovated airport,” he had said.
It was highlighted that the current coronavirus pandemic will not be used as an excuse, since the GCAA will facilitate a flight to have the China Harbour employees return and complete the works they left pending. For now, once the materials and human resource are present, the construction can resume. The contracting firm has already been appraised via letters of the corrective or remedial works that need to be done.
When the coalition Government came into power in 2015, the project was put on hold, but after discussions between former Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson and CHEC, it was later announced that the project would be continued but a number of downgrades were done to the design.
Some $138 million of the allocated costs was funded by the EXIM (Export-Import) Bank of China while $12 million was spent by the Guyana Government. It was not expected to surpass that sum but Guyana had to stand additional expenses.
The CJIA in its downgraded design expansion has four less air passenger boarding bridges for arrivals and departures than the initial eight, a 450-seat departure area, escalators and elevators, in addition to an incomplete extended runway, which was supposed to measure 400 and 690 metres at the respective ends.
An old terminal building that was marked for cargo was revamped and only one of the new sections was built. Meanwhile, a new apron that was supposed to support the additional four air bridges is non-existent. There is also no space for enough duty-free shops, restaurants, car rentals and other facilities.
CHEC was supposed to design and complete all works before handing it over to the Guyanese Government. However, they have completed some of the works, while key areas like the runway remain undone.
“There are works to be completed on both sections. This runway was supposed to be completed since December 31, 2018…I am not granting any further extension on anything. This afternoon, we have to agree on timelines for completion. We are way past liquidated damages. Anything that could’ve gone wrong has already gone wrong,” Edghill had stated. (G2)