AFC’s proposal is to abandon CJIA ….as Nagamootoo continues to mislead public – Minister Benn

WHILE criticising the cost and need for the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), the Alliance For Change’s (AFC) alternative is to build a completely new airport which would end up costing tax payers more than five times what is currently being spent.

Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn, on Monday last, recalled the proposal, as he responded to the AFC Vice Chairman Moses Nagamootoo who, following the announcement of a US$50M

A composite photo depicting the current CJIA terminal against an artist’s impression of what the new terminal building will look like

Public Works Minister Robeson Benn

‘Concessionary Loan’ from India for a critical piece of road infrastructure, took to the media to disparage the move by the President and his administration.

Nagamootoo was reported in the Kaieteur News’ edition of January 12, 2014, as calling the project a ‘fly by night’ initiative and said it was akin to the CJIA expansion project.

According to Nagamootoo, the money secured by Head of State, Donald Ramotar, from India to construct the critical East Bank Demerara/East Coast Demerara road link may also plunge Guyana into further debt.

“Just like the idea of having a new airport. We were told that the only reason the Guyana Government decided to take a loan from the Chinese is because they saw the Chinese, as one Minister said, with a grip load of money, so they couldn’t resist entering into an agreement,” Nagamootoo is quoted as saying.

ADVANTAGEOUS LOAN
Minister Benn in exposing the fallacy spewed by Nagamootoo, said, “He continues to deliberately mislead the public as to the reasons the Government of Guyana accessed (China Exim Bank) Bank Loan funds for the CJIA project.

The minister, in seeking to bring some sense of finality regarding the decision to access that loan facility, said the China/CARICOM Summit which was held in Port of Spain, Trinidad, presented a final time bound opportunity to fund it on advantageous soft loan terms.

Responding to the AFC’s Executive Member, Benn also drew reference to the fact that Nagamootoo, his party and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) voted for hundreds of millions of dollars to pay for the mobilisation advance in order for the project to begin.

The following year, the AFC along with APNU slashed the funding for the project,
The Public Works Minister also elaborated on what the AFC’s proposal was in relation to the Airport, a plan he called ridiculous then as it remains ridiculous now.
Referencing the ‘Corruption Debates’ which were televised live on the National Communications Network, Benn recalled that the AFC’s lead person on finance and infrastructure, Gerhard Ramsaroop, had mooted the idea that CJIA be abandoned altogether.
The replacement was proposed to be a new airport built on the West Bank of Demerara, at Sand Hills.
“This idea would involve the loss investment funds sunk into CJIA, Timehri and the replication and extension of the CJIA infrastructure as all new – not to mention the need imposed to build new road and a new upstream Demerara River Bridge, which would also have to accommodate oceangoing river traffic! All of this would likely convert a US$150 authorised project to one that is five times greater in costs at least and needed funding,” Benn said in his dismissal of the AFC’s proposal.

DISAPPOINTING/CONFUSING
On the matter of the US$50M loan secured by Head of State, Donald Ramotar, during his recent Official State Visit to India, the AFC Chairman had said, “there is much to be considered before Guyana can count this as a blessing.”

Kaieteur News also reported Nagamootoo as conceding Guyana’s need for a road joining the East Coast and the East Bank of Demerara, but in the same vein suggests it was a ‘fly by night’ idea being floated.
Benn, in rubbishing the arguments of the AFC Chairman said that any balanced read of the very article which contains Mr. Nagamootoo’s statements along with the experience of the traffic situation which the Ogle – Eccles project will address, speak volumes as to the urgent necessity for the project intervention.
He contends therefore that it is, “disappointing and confusing that Mr. Nagamootoo, an experienced and veteran politician would condescend to describe, as quoted directly – ‘fly by night’ ideas that are being floated – the very idea that he too deemed as necessary in the same article.
Overall, the Minister in seeking to edify stakeholders reminded that funding from the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grouping are on typically very advantageous and concessional terms, and that these projects by their very nature in transiting the funding and project cycles, require feasibility and engineering design studies all of which involve consultation.
Discrediting the Opposition’s track record when it comes to developmental projects the Minister recalled, “The visceral negative criticisms from sections of the media and Opposition circles when Guyana undertook, with Indian Government Funding, to build a new cricket stadium at Providence, to International Cricket Council Standards.”
Benn declared that the undeniable fact that the Providence Stadium fulfilled its intended mission for Cricket World Cup, combined with the reality of an exemplary facility that is enjoyed by all, for a variety of cultural and social events, is a testimony to the fact that what Nagamootoo deems as ‘fly by night’ PPP/C Government projects result in solid, viable, enduring projects, on solid ground, benefitting all Guyanese.”