Govt. to spend another $612M on renovated CJIA project

Jul 18, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – The Government of Guyana (GoG) is heading to tender for the replacement of the asphaltic concrete pavement for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) apron.

This new project is estimated to cost some $612 million. The invitation for bids advertisement appeared in Kaieteur News’ Sunday July 16 edition.

The Ministry of Public Works is in charge of this project, and all CJIA projects. The new works for the airport are part of the government’s plans to continue to modernise the renovated airport. With about US$160 million already pumped into the expansion of CJIA – citizens should expect more of their taxpayers’ dollars going towards the ‘continued modernisation’ of the airport.

Last year at a press conference, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill told reporters that construction on the airport will continue. The airport expansion contract was signed in 2011 under then President, Bharrat Jagdeo, and was passed through the truncated presidency of Donald Ramotar. However, when the David Granger administration took over in 2015, it said that the very defective plan needed adjustments and changes were made. The decade-old project was awarded to Chinese contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for the sum of US$150 million: $138 million from the China Exim Bank and $12 million from the consolidated fund – taxpayers’ money.

Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA)

When the PPP administration took office in August 2020, Minister Edghill had stated that they were not satisfied with the work that was done by the contractor and as such, they had negotiated and got CHEC to do additional works at the airport at no cost to Guyana. The additional works that were done by the contractor included a superstructure, corridor and curtain wall. It was only recently that CHEC completed the works on the airport.

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.

ADDITIONAL SPENDING

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. Just recently, bids opened for the construction of a new administrative building at the airport. For this project, the engineer estimated it to cost $906 million [US$$4,309,639].

In August 2021, the Public Works ministry had signed a contract with Kalitech Incorporated to the tune of $25.9 million [US$124,021] to design the new office building for the airport staff.

The government also signed a $513 million [US$2,456,494] contract last year with construction company CALCO for the construction of a new building attached to CJIA’s terminal building – that 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 $418,562,400 [US$2,000,000] to a local company named Total Solutions for the supply of two additional air-bridges for CJIA, some $73,248,420 more than what was paid for the other air bridges.

An artist’s impression of what the modernised and expanded Cheddi Jagan International Airport will look like

Some other projects at the airport that the government is funding are: $38 million [US$181,962] for an international apron and the taxiway Charlie; $23 million [US$110,135] 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 $612 million [US$2,930,554]; $518 million [US$2,480,436] runway, which comes with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) and $420 million [US$2,011,164], which was approved by the National Assembly for a baggage handling system for the renovated airport.

With more spending to be done on the airport, the final cost for the airport expansion is still unknown. Notably, while Minister Edghill had assured that the CJIA expansion project final cost will not surpass US$200 million –to date, the spending is currently over US$160 million.

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Concrete, Government, Guyana, Kalitech Incorporated, project

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