The new works embarked on by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) are on course for completion by June of this year, an eventuality that will bring an end to one of the most contentious infrastructure projects in recent memory.
During a press conference on Monday attended by a number of Public Works Ministry agency heads, CJIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramesh Ghir explained that the new work being done by CHEC, which includes the corridor, superstructure and curtain wall, is 54 per cent completed.
Last year, a $513.3 million contract was also signed with construction company CALCO for the construction of a new building attached to CJIA’s terminal building which 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.
“The works by China Harbour is expected to be completed by June of this year. The work being done by CALCO, that is the new office building and rehabilitation of the airline offices, is 6 per cent completed,” Ghir explained.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill meanwhile fielded questions on funding for the airbridges at the CJIA expansion project. Last year, Total Solutions was awarded a $400 million contract for the supply of two air bridges for the CJIA expansion project. Edghill explained that these funds are Government monies.
“The airbridges 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 airbridges and then we had to get a supplementary from the Parliament, Government of Guyana, to buy the other two.”
“So, while we’re getting the Chinese to put in the corridor, the other two make six that’s funded by the Government of Guyana. And the contracts for those have been awarded already,” Edghill said.
The overall project was to be completed since December 31, 2018, under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, but has now been taken over by the PPP/C Government in an incomplete and downgraded state. In fact, the Granger-led APNU/AFC Administration had settled for a denigrated design while paying more than the allocated US$150 million.
