Latest update March 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 19, 2018 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom
Kaieteur News has been consistently expressing grave concerns about whether Guyana is obtaining value for money in relation to the airport expansion project. It is assumed that at the end of every engineering project, the consultant engineer would sign off on the project, indicating whether the work was done according to the stipulated specifications.
But does the same happen in relation to value for money. How does one know that the country has gained value for money from the contractors? How does one know if the country has been shortchanged?
Kaieteur News reported the following in September this year: “Instead of a brand-new terminal building, CHEC [the contractor] has basically gutted the old one and made some extensions. It will be the new departure area. Nearby, a smaller building will house the Arrivals terminal. There were supposed to be at least six passenger bridges. Currently, there are only two bridges.”
Two additional bridges have been imported, but this is still two short of the originally planned six bridges.
Even Bharrat Jagdeo, the Leader of the Opposition, whose government conceived this project, expressed his concern, promising that if the PPPC returns to power there will be a ‘value for money’ audit. The government, however, says that it is obtaining ‘value for money’.
The APNU+AFC coalition, when in opposition, had expressed reservations about the project. The then opposition was even accused of sabotaging the project through budgetary cuts in 2013 and 214 when it held a one-seat majority in the National Assembly.
But when it came into office, the coalition proceeded full speed with it. The project costs have since escalated, with the government providing the baffling explanation that the additional funds which it voted for the project were to cover increased expenses due to a rise in material costs as a result of exchange rate fluctuations.
Conflicting rationales were provided for the project. One PPPC Minister claimed that the project was decided on because a Chinese Vice President came through the region waving a lot of money. But it was later contended that the project was necessary in order to cater for large aircraft and for the more than 40% increase in passenger movement at the original terminal in the first decade of the millennium.
Kaieteur News is now reporting that the project does not include the construction of a new car park, an absolute necessity to cater for an increase in passenger volume. Guyana will be saddled with this expense, which will only increase the project which is now behind schedule.
The project deadline for December 2017 was missed and it was promised that the project would have been completed in 2018. The year is drawing to a close, and it does not seem likely as if it will be completed. In fact, there are more worrying concerns about Guyana being shortchanged.
Concerns over value for money in China-funded projects are not limited to the airport expansion project. The sum of G$1.4B was spent on renovating the Convention Centre, an expense entirely borne by the government of China. One would have expected that with that sum of money being spent, a completely new look would have been had at the centre. But that has not been the case and there is no indication, also, as to whether a ‘value for money’ audit was conducted.
Among the US$7M renovations were the refurbishing of the main conference hall, even though it looks almost the same as the old one; the repainting of the structure; and the reinstallation of ceilings, with one section having reinforced glass and the addition of new facilities inside – all for a price tag of US$7M, which some feel could have built a brand new convention centre.
Listen to the man that is throwing Guyanese bright future away
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