CJIA misses yet another completion deadline

Jul 01, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Chinese contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), has once again failed to meet yet another completion deadline for the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill. [Photo Credit: Ministry of Public Works.]

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, had announced during a press conference earlier this year that the deadline for the additional works at CJIA was June 30, 2022. On June 6, this publication had contacted Minister Edghill for an update on the progress of the works being undertaken by CHEC, to which the minister said, “We expect the Chinese contractor to hand over the airport at the end of June 2022 and as far as I’m aware, this is on track.”
However, on Thursday following a media tour at the airport, it was disclosed that the airport is ‘almost complete.’ Minister Edghill along with China’s Ambassador to Guyana, H.E Guo Haiyan, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CJIA, Ramesh Ghir, among technical persons conducted an inspection of works at the airport.
The CJIA project with Chinese contractor, CHEC, remains at US$150M: $138M from the China Exim Bank and $12M from the consolidated fund – taxpayers’ money. Minister Edghill had explained that the additional works being undertaken by CHEC are at no cost to Guyana, but through negotiations with the government which the contractor agreed to do at their own expense.
The additional works being done by the Chinese contractor include the superstructure, corridor and curtain wall. Notably, while the contract cost with the Chinese contractor remains at US$150M, the government is undertaking several multi-million upgrades to the airport which were separated into three parts.
The government signed a $513M contract last year with construction company CALCO for the construction of a new building attached to CJIA’s terminal building, the new building will house a conference room, offices for the airlines and the other support agencies as well as storage bonds for the duty-free shops and concessionaires.
In September 2021, Edghill’s Ministry awarded a contract for US$2M to a local company named Total Solutions for the supply of two additional air-bridges for CJIA, some US$350,000 more than what was paid for the other air bridges.
Edghill had stated that government funded the additional air bridges. Kaieteur News had reported that according to the minister, “The air bridges are being funded by the Government of Guyana and that is as a result of the agreement made with the APNU/AFC, when they ended up with two air bridges and then we had to get a supplementary from the Parliament, Government of Guyana, to buy the other two.”
Some other projects at the airport that the government is funding are: $38 million for an international apron and the taxiway Charlie; $23M for the rehabilitation of the existing roof at the airport; construction and rehabilitation works of the VIP Lounge and new and existing commercial buildings of the airport at an estimated cost of $612M; $518M runway which comes with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) and $420 million which was approved by the National Assembly for a baggage handling system for the renovated airport.
On Thursday, Minister Edghill stated that the major civil works now give CJIA the capacity to take in Code E and D aircraft. It was stated that only minor works are left to be completed at the airport. Minister Edghill highlighted that the retrofitting of the superstructure is on schedule for completion and the air bridges are slated to arrive in Guyana on July 16.
Meanwhile, the additional spending by the government has increased the amount of money spent on the airport which falls way below expectations and international airport standards.

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