Opposition axes $6.5B from CJIA Expansion

…Amaila Falls access road slips through as AFC abstains

A $6.5B allocation for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Expansion project this year, fell victim to a negative vote by the Parliamentary Opposition Thursday evening, when it came up for a vote in the Committee of Supply consideration of the 2014 Budget estimates.
As a result of the ruling of Chief Justice (Ag) Ian Chang, the opposition is refrained from amending the budget. Instead, it must approve or disapprove an entire line item. As a result, another $235M for the rehabilitation of hinterland airstrips and the Civil Aviation Department also fell victims given that they were included in the programme that was cut.
An attempt was also made to cut the allocation for the Amaila Falls Access Road, but this fell through when the Alliance for Change (AFC) abstained from voting.
Had the AFC voted for the cut it would have meant that a total of $13B would have had to be cut from the Public Works capital programme in order to negate the $1.3B allocations for the access road.
Under threat when it went to a vote, were allocations for the Demerara Harbour Bridge, roads, bridges and other works.
Prior to the vote on the access road, A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) Joseph Harmon questioned, why government would want to request $1.3B for the road when there is a signed project. “Why ask for money for a road that goes to no project?”
Alliance for Change (AFC) Vice Chairman, Moses Nagamootoo, also voiced similar concerns over the road project.
Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn, in response, told the House that there is a national project for the construction of the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric project in the amount of 165MW of cheap, sustainable and renewable power.
Benn recalled that Harmon as well as his colleague Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine had been flown out to the project and they at the time had expressed delight.
The Minister recalled that there was an issue arising out of Parliament when there was a failed vote causing Sithe Global to walk from the project,
According to the Minister “we cannot delay the finish of the construction of the road and hope to get it in time for the things we need to do…Guyana intends to build the hydro plant.”
Prior to the vote on the airport expansion project, Nagamootoo said that the AFC is fully supportive of the allocation for the hinterland and coastal airstrips but lamented what he called the bundling of the projects together.
“We have in the absence of dialogue created a dilemma in relations to bundling, it will leave us no choice with the position we have taken.”
Meanwhile, the political opposition also queried the allocations for fuel subsidy for the Transport and Harbours Department.
According to Harmon, the majority of this money is being devoured by the two new Chinese ferries and he questioned the economic viability of using the two vessels.
The Minister responded that while the majority of the fuel subsidy for the department is indeed utilized by the two vessels, they transport three times the number of vehicles and persons than their predecessors.
The impact that the use of the vessels has on the economy and citizens must be taken into account, he said.
Questions were also raised over a $240M allocation that would be used to build an access road and terminal for the proposed bridge over the Corentyne River.
Both Harmon and Carl Greenidge of APNU questioned why Government was making the allocation when it was not in possession of the contract to build the actual bridge.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett intervened however, and indicated that the negotiations have not been completed as yet for the building of the Bridge and further it is Suriname that is going to be building the facility, not Guyana.