This “Aviation Operative” source is distorting information while exercising personal animosity

Feb 06, 2018 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
Kaieteur News headlined story (Sunday 4th February 2018) “Ogle pays Govt. US$6 per acre but rents to Operators for over US$6000 per acre” is grossly misleading. This is the fourth report in Kaieteur News targeting the airport from an unnamed “Aviation Operative”. It’s nice to be in a position to manipulate public perception and not be challenged.
It is strange that Kaieteur News continues to print headlines from this “Aviation Operative” source without first checking with OAI, aiding and abetting the agenda of the Aviation Operative, so perhaps in the interest of readers following these deliberate attacks on the integrity of the Company, let us reveal some facts which may be relevant:

President of NATA, Annette Arjoon-Martins’ brother, Mazahar Ally, Managing Director of ASL was a Member of the Board and was actively involved in vetting and approving OAI’s existing land lease rates and which have not changed since then.
Three Members of NATA, ASL, JAGS and Hopkinson, after protracted discussions agreed to the Board approved rates and paid down on new airside land leases, ASL ultimately gave up their lease and was refunded.
Annette Arjoon-Martins, President of NATA, is well aware that OAI’s payment to the Government for land includes a percentage rental of 5% of the Gross Revenue of the Airport and far exceeds the US$6 per acre quoted by the unnamed “Aviation Operative”. This also means that the Land Lease becomes more costly as the Airport grows.
OAI’s rates to operators are founded on the substantial development of the infrastructure supporting the leased land and it is ridiculous to make a comparison to a basic land lease rate.
OAI’s existing land lease revenue barely covers the cost of the land lease obligations to the GOG and its revenue is far from representing making ‘a kill’.
Both the AOAG and NATA have Members who are on the Board of OAI and have access to privileged Board information and all the above information is known to both Organisations.

It is clear then that “Aviation Operative” source who has access to the same information is dishonestly distorting it while exercising personal animosity to the Airport and deliberately manipulating the facts to damage the reputation of the Company.
These attempts will fail, as they have failed in the past, because the public is not blind. The fact is the Eugene F. Correia International Airport serves a vital and essential role in National Development, supporting, as it does CARICOM, the Government of Guyana development programme, the Mining, Timber, Oil and Tourism industries as well as domestic and regional travel for the general public located conveniently close to our Capital City and enjoyed by them.

The E.F.C International Airport has to cater and balance all of these interests at the same time, so it may not be in a position at all times to please every operator, as the standards required for international operations increase over time.

Yours Sincerely

Ogle Airport Inc.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Kaieteur News is pleased that OAI has seen it fit to acknowledge and respond to the article quoted in the letter highlighting important concerns regarding the use of state assets.

However, this newspaper had hoped that OAI would have dealt with the issue at hand. Instead, the company opted to concern itself more with trying to ascertain and verify the newspaper’s source.

This newspaper is known for investigative reporting. The lopsided arrangement where operators are made to pay several times more than what OAI is paying to the government for state property is still to be addressed.