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US$150M and counting at CJIA… Contract says: Airport terminal should get a $1.1B glass roof with skylights
According to the contract signed with China Harbour Engineering Company Inc (CHEC), the new terminal building at the Timehri airport is supposed to feature a fancy glass roof, complete with skylights.
Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson
In fact, more than $1.1B (US$5M-plus) was budgeted to be spent on the roof.
According to the November 2011 contract signed with CHEC and the Bharrat Jagdeo administration, days before that president was set to end his constitutional two terms in office, the new terminal building was supposed to see a glass roof.
This is how the monies were supposed to be spent on the roof, according to the contract under the section “Civil Buildings” of the Bill of Quantities:
However, with a mere four weeks remaining before CHEC is supposed to hand over the airport, there is no evidence of a glass roof or skylights.
The project has been drastically modified with the Coalition Government not giving details on whether the project cost of US$150M has been slashed or it is the same or increased.
There are no details whether Guyana is still obligated for the US$138M in loan it took from China.
The project involves a Chinese contractor and now spans three administrations and is largely shrouded in secrecy,.
In addition to what is supposed to be an altogether brand-new terminal building to house arrival and departure areas, according to the November 10, 2011 contract, there will be a longer runway- from 1,066.8 meters, to 3,336.8 meters.
Ongoing renovations to the old terminal building at CJIA.
That contract states that a brand-new two-storey terminal building was to be built west of the existing one. The old one was supposed to have been torn down, at the expense of the people of Guyana.
The new building is to be divided into two parts; the terminal building and the departure lounges/gates and arrival concourse.
According to the contract, 20 check-in counters and the 20 relevant weighing scales will be arranged in the new terminal building on the second floor.
The airport would have boasted two sets of hold baggage inspection (including X-ray baggage scanning machine with the relevant baggage conveyors should be arranged near the check-in counters.
The airport was also supposed to boast two sets of escalators and two sets of accessible elevators.
There were supposed to be eight passenger bridges. There are only two at this time.
What the modernized airport is supposed to get would be critical as within a few weeks, the entire facility is scheduled to be handed over after being delayed almost two years.
Guyana has taken a US$138M loan from China and was supposed to plug the rest – US$12M.
However, the project appears to have been drastically modified with the same contractor working.
What is known is that instead of what is supposed to be a brand new terminal building, there is a smaller structure and a renovation of the old terminal building.
The Opposition, too, has been silent on a contract, which it signed secretly with CHEC in Jamaica.
Kaieteur News had reached out to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, which is charged with the airport, but a promised tour never materialized.
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