Another $906M for CJIA

Jul 11, 2022 News

– as govt. opens tender for construction of new administrative building

Kaieteur News – While works on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) is nearing completion, the government on its end is now looking to spend some $906 million to construct a new building at the facility.

The Cheddi Jagan International Airport. [Mike Charles photo]

According to a recent invitation for bids by the Ministry of Public Works, they are looking to construct a new administrative office building at the airport.

It was reported in the media in August last year that the ministry had signed a contract with Kalitech Incorporated to the tune of $25.9 million to design a new office building for the airport staff. CJIA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramesh Ghir, was quoted in a Department of Public Information article in December stating that the design for the office was completed and that the new step is to go to tender.

Bidding for the project which will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding procedure specified in the Procurement Act 2003, will be opened on August 2, 2022 at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Procurement office.

Notably, the CJIA project with Chinese contractor, CHEC, remains at US$150M: $138M from the China Exim Bank and $12M from the consolidated fund – taxpayers’ money. Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill had explained that the additional works being undertaken by CHEC are at no cost to Guyana, but through negotiations with the government, which the contractor agreed to do at their own expense.

Also 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. The government signed a $513M contract last year with construction company CALCO for the construction of a new building attached to CJIA’s terminal building, the 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 US$2M to a local company named Total Solutions for the supply of two additional air-bridges for CJIA, some US$350,000 more than what was paid for the other air bridges.

Edghill had stated that government funded the additional air bridges. Kaieteur News had reported that according to the minister, “The air bridges 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 air bridges and then we had to get a supplementary from the Parliament, Government of Guyana, to buy the other two.”

Some other projects at the airport that the government is funding are $38 million for an international apron and the taxiway Charlie; $23M 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 $612M; $518M runway which comes with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) and $420 million which was approved by the National Assembly for a baggage handling system for the renovated airport.

On June 30, Minister Edghill stated that the major civil works that is completed on the airport, now give CJIA the capacity to take in Code E and D aircraft. Minister Edghill highlighted that the retrofitting of the superstructure is on schedule for completion and the air bridges are slated to arrive in Guyana on July 16.

Meanwhile, 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.

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