Guyana, China ink airport expansion loan; squatters to be relocated
Written by Demerara Waves
Thursday, 01 November 2012 07:08-- Source
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and Chinese Ambassador Yu Wenzhe exchange documenst after signing the loan agreement for the Cheddi Jagan Airport Expansion Project as President Donald Ramotar and Public Works Minister Robeson Benn look on.
The way is now clear for expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) to begin during the first quarter of next year, with the signing of a US$130 million loan agreement between Guyana and China.
The concessional loan is being provided the Chinese EXIM Bank.
Transport Minister, Robeson Benn said 300 houses with an estimated 815 residents in the “impact area” are to be relocated to a designated area.
Benn said a feasibility study and environmental impact assessment of the CJIA expansion project have been already conducted.
Signing the loan agreement on Wednesday were Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh on behalf of the Guyana Government, and outgoing Chinese Ambassador Yu Wenzhe on behalf of the Chinese Government in the presence of President Donald Ramotar, Benn and airport officials at the Office of the President
The state run Government Information Agency (GINA) reported that thee Guyana government approved a design and construction contract with China Harbour Engineering Company for the project expected to include an extension of the airport runway to a total of 10,800 feet to accommodate large transatlantic aircraft such as the Boeing 747, along with construction of a new terminal building, acquisition of eight boarding bridges, and installation of other state of the art equipment such as elevators, escalators, and x-ray scanners using three-dimensional technology along with flight information and security monitoring systems.
Once completed, the project would ensure that the CJIA is able to meet the needs of projected traffic for several years into the future, along with becoming a hub for regional and continental traffic.
It will allow the country to boast a state of the art airport “comparable to any other part of the world,” according to Minister Singh, and equipped to accommodate any category of aircraft.
Job creation will also be created as several auxiliary services are anticipated and the country’s tourism potential is likely to be bolstered with the influx of visitor arrivals.
President Ramotar linked the airport expansion project to the new wave of infrastructure developments taking shape in Guyana after years of hard work by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Administration to rebuild a “broken” economy after taking office in 1992.
He alluded to the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) which will be one of several renewable energy sources facilitating 90 percent of the country’s power generation and significantly reduce the cost of electricity to the consumer.
He also used the occasion to commend the Chinese Government for the historic friendly bilateral relationship with Guyana, conveying his sentiments to the Chinese Ambassador whose two – year tenure in Guyana is winding down.