Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
US$150M renovated airport incomplete after six years
The now infamous runway at CJIA that took almost US$35M in sand.
On March 23, 2013, former President under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Donald Ramotar, joined then Chinese Ambassador, Zhang Li Min, to turn the sod for a brand new terminal building and longer runway at the Timehri airport.
It was supposed to be finished in 32 month–two and half years.
More than six years later, the construction is dragging on, and instead of a brand new terminal building with all the bells and whistles, Guyana is a getting way smaller, renovated Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA)…all for the same price.
That project is the currently the largest, on-land infrastructural works.
Airport employees were looking in disbelief as roof sheets were being replaced over the old terminal building and the finishing touches
The airport in incomplete after six years.
to cosmetic repairs inside that have not reduced the hefty price tag of US$150M that Guyanese taxpayers have been saddled with.
The project was given several deadlines. It was initially given to the end of 2015. Then the drop-dead date was at the end of last year.
There were no announcements that China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), the Chinese contractor, was given a further extension for the first quarter.
However, the first quarter has now come and gone.
Kaieteur News has, based on complaints, even published a front page comment calling on Government to come clean on the project, and to explain among other things, how the US$150M was spent.
It is not public knowledge that China Harbour was sanctioned for falling behind on the work.
What is known is that the company came here, was granted significant tax and other concessions on materials and equipment and during that time, started work on the MovieTowne project at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara for private investors.
That project has been launched.
CHEC then was awarded a contract to build a new complex for Pegasus Hotel, Kingston.
That project has started. The CJIA is struggling along.
The CJIA expansion project has been saddled with one controversy after the next.
In 2011, Guyana learnt from Jamaican press that the PPP/C government, heading into general elections, had secretly signed a contract with CHEC.
CHEC did not even had the money and there appeared to be little due diligence by authorities to ensure that the cost as submitted by CHEC were realistic.
In fact, analysis of the Bill of Quantities found that CHEC had proposed prices that were up to 1,000 percent, and the Government then gladly signed the deal.
Television monitors were priced at over $1M.
CHEC did not receive the money until late 2012, a year after the deal was signed.
The company ran into problems early with the runway section of the project after dumping thousands of truckloads of sand on the northern end and then finding that it could not continue because of poor soil conditions.
The Coalition Government on entering office in 2015 halted the project and without explaining, modified the designs and kept CHEC.
Instead of the new terminal building to house the Departure and Arrival areas, the new airport had to make do with a smaller building to accommodate the Arrivals. The old terminal was gutted and renovated.
Where the savings went, the administration did not say and has been silent.
In fact, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, had made a shocking disclosure, throwing more shadow on a project that emerged as one of the most scandalous one in recent times of the country.
He said that CHEC has dumped about a million truckloads of sand at about $7,000 apiece.
Truckers say that is where Guyana has been shafted as CHEC was given sandpits located close to the runway and is not saddled with cost to fill the truck trays as would be charged by normal sandpits.
For one million truckloads, CJIA’s expansion would have been saddled with a US$35M cost.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Bureaucracy gone bananas!
…Peeping Tom kaieteur News- Every morning, the government wakes up, stretches its arms, and spends one billion dollars... more
Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – There is an alarming surge in gun-related violence, particularly among younger... more
Weekend Cartoon
