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Coalition changed new CJIA airport to a ‘rehab project’ – Jagdeo
Kaieteur News – Addressing criticism on the decade-old Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project, Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo blamed the APNU+AFC Coalition Government for turning the US$150 million endeavour into a “rehab project.”
During his press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo noted that he read comments questioning why after 11 years, the project is not completed.
The contract for the airport expansion project was signed in 2011, under Jagdeo’s tenure as president, with China Harbour and Engineering Corporation (CHEC).
“So I got the loan and the project was conceptualized and then I left office, and a number of things happened after that,” Jagdeo said.
The Jagdeo led-administration acquired a US$138 million loan from the China Exim Bank, and used US$12 million from the Consolidated Fund (taxpayers’ money) for the total project cost of US$150 million.
Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo
“They forgot that APNU was there for five years…” Jagdeo said.
Holding up a printed image of an artist’s impression of the airport, Jagdeo said, “This was how the airport was supposed to look when the contract was signed, you see a new terminal… you wouldn’t have seen what you’re seeing, now with the rehab project, that is what they did.”
The Vice President argued that it was the previous administration during its 2015-2020 tenure that caused the project to ‘flop’.
“This is what the project would have looked like, this is how you would have had eight air bridges, this is what we paid for as part of the contract when I left that was negotiated and signed,” Jagdeo continued.
The Vice President said that questions regarding the substandard outcome of the project should be directed to former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson.
“Ask Patterson how you ended up from this, to a rehabilitation project taking the old building and rehabilitating the old building,” Jagdeo noted.
Jagdeo told reporters that the US$150 million contract was signed with CHEC for a new airport. However, he said it was the Coalition government that made changes which resulted in a rehabilitation project.
“We paid for a new building, a massive building with eight air bridges, a new apron, a new runway, why don’t they ask Patterson how it got to this,” the Vice President said.
“When we got back into office, we refused to accept the airport, we refused to accept it what APNU had done and as a result of that, they are working now on improving the entire façade of the airport…because we refused to accept it,” the Vice President told reporters.
According to reports, upon assuming office in 2015, the David Granger administration deemed the airport plan defective, necessitating adjustments.
Subsequently, in August 2020, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill expressed dissatisfaction with the contractor’s work.
Consequently, negotiations resulted in additional works undertaken by CHEC at no extra cost to Guyana. These enhancements included a superstructure, corridor, and curtain wall.
While the US$150 million rehabilitation works by CHEC is completed. The PPP-administration has substantially increased spending for the airport modernization albeit falling below international standards and expectations.
- ‘rehab project, Bharrat Jagdeo, Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), China Harbour and Engineering Corporation (CHEC), Vice President
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