Home Letters Special audit of CJIA expansion project needed
Dear Editor,
The allegation of corruption at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport expansion project is becoming worse by the minute and must not go unchallenged. Unless greater transparency is brought to the implementation of this contract, Guyana will be worse off financially and infrastructurally than it was before this US$150 million loan was borrowed. What we are seeing at the airport is the height of human vulgarity.
In the USA, with all the post 9/11 requirements, the Westchester 6-gate airport terminal cost about US$90 million from scratch. In the case of Guyana, we shall only be receiving a 4-gate terminal and an extension of the runaway for US$150 million. That would have been acceptable if it was a new departure and arrival terminal. But now we are finding out that the old terminal has not been torn down. Rather, it has been gutted and is being reused at the departure area.
We must also remember that the PPP in 2011 signed a fixed-priced contract for US$150 million that committed the contractor to an airport as per the contract with 8 gates, new departure and arrival terminal and a 10,800 feet runway to make it a category Code 4E runway (a jumbo jet – BOEING 747-400 aircraft can land). The PNC varied the contract and offered four gates and a refurbished departure terminal. So, picking sense from nonsense, Guyana is getting less and is still being charged the same price. What abject nonsense is this? How more bogus can Team Granger get?
I appeal to the Office of the Auditor General to conduct a special audit on this project to assess if this nation is securing value for money. I appeal to the Auditor General to safeguard all evidence since any future Government would need such evidence to prosecute those found culpable for misappropriation of public funds.
Regard,
Lisa Ally