A value for money audit of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project, by the Audit Office of Guyana (AOG), has been put on hold since the Audit Office is awaiting documents from the APNU+AFC Coalition.

Auditor General, Deodat Sharma, in recent comments said, “We’re still awaiting document from the Public Infrastructure Ministry s so that we can commence. We have not gotten the vouchers and documents as yet. So I can’t determine a timeline for that, until we get the documents and copies of the vouchers, I’ll be able to plan the audit….We have to get that from the actual vouchers. The (Permanent Secretary) PS had written me and said he would submit it shortly, but I have not received it as yet.”

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has expressed concern about the “level of corruption” that has been associated with the project under the stewardship of the APNU+AFC Coalition’s David Patterson.

In 2012, under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration, Guyana secured a US$138 million loan from the China Exim (Export-Import) Bank to fund the expansion and modernisation project, for which the Guyana Government was slated to inject some US$12 million. The initial design of the project was changed by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

The A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) when in Opposition had cut the funds the then Government – PPP/C – had allocated for the CJIA expansion. Upon completion, the airport is expected to have eight passenger boarding bridges for arrivals and departures, a 450-seat departure area, escalators and elevators, in addition to an extended runway catering for larger categories of aircraft.

After the Coalition Government inherited and took control of the project almost four years ago, the initial designs were changed. Since May 2019, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government was called on to publicly release the modified design on the CJIA expansion project.