Following several articles published in the Kaieteur News in relation to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Expansion Project, the Ministry of Public Works issued a statement clarifying the issue.
The daily newspaper had reported that the Guyana Government agreed to pay China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), $297,694 for the supply each of the six urinals to be installed in the expanded Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), while a similar urinal is retailed in the capital for prices ranging from $12,000 to $20,000.
However, in response the Public Works Ministry stated that the contract between China CHEC and the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) is a Lump Sum contract signed under the terms and conditions of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC).
According to the Ministry, “The articles fail to reflect that under such contracts the cost for each line item usually includes several other costs including materials, labour, overheads, transportation and profit.”
In their statement, the Ministry explained that the particular sanitary items mentioned, there is no pricing stated for sewer lines, washroom cubicles and doors and the many fittings associated with the washroom; these are all catered for in the line item pricing as such as “toilet set” – as is the case for all Lump Sum contracts.
“It is, therefore, deliberately misleading for one to extract a line item indexed cost and represent that this cost is the cost for the stated line item while completely ignoring the associated costs related to the item given the distributive native of lump-sum contracts,” the Public Works Ministry stated.
“The Ministry deplores this new line of attack on the project particularly by persons who are certainly aware of the nature of these contracts and, more so, who have stated that they have ‘consulted’ on the type of contract entered in.”
The information below was sent out by the Public Works Ministry.
Comparative Construction costs of other airports (USD / sq ft):
Chicago Midway US$281
Denver Colorado US$284
CJIA US$300
Washington US$353
San Jose CA US$400
Vancouver BC US$418
San Diego CA US$450
JFK – Jet Blue US$1,000
Comparative Construction costs of Concrete Apron (USD/ sq .m)
CJIA US$193
Florida Department of Transportation US$237 – US$302
· Bahamas – US$409M
· St Vincent & the Grenadines – US$240M
· St Maarten – US$232M
· Cayman Island – US$244M
· Guyana – US$150M
· Barbados – US$100M
· Bermuda – US$200M – US$300M (depending on land available)
· Jamaica – US$20M
· Antigua & Barbuda – US$45M
· Turks & Caicos– US$10M
· El Salvador – US$32M
