The second phase of the Ogle airport expansion programme has begun as government has started accepting bids from interested contractors for the widening of the existing runway.

The project is being managed by the government through a grant received from the 9th European Development Fund Regional Caribbean Programme.

According to a recent advertisement, it is intended that part of the proceeds of this financing will be applied to eligible payments under the contract for civil works at the Ogle airport.

The EU grant was made available sometime back but the government had raised concerns regarding the structuring of the agreement. After some time had elapsed, this newspaper had made contact with Head of the EU delegation Geert Heikens who had said that for the EU, there were no issues that could possibly delay the start of the tender process. He had also told Stabroek News in a  brief interview late last year that he had learnt that the government wanted to see structural changes but said that this had nothing to do with the European Union.

“So there are no hiccups on our side… any structural changes would have to be managed between the Ogle Airport Incorporated and the government… we made the money available,” he had said.

Transport Minister Robeson Benn had said that international funding could not simply be taken and put into private hands as he justified the need for what he termed the “necessary rest-ructuring” of the arrangement.

Asked whether the government wanted a hand in the agreement, Benn responded, “the government must have a hand in the arrangement with respect to the ownership, government couldn’t give out the entire leases and everything without having some ownership in the holding companies.”

He had said that the matter was being dealt with by the Ministry of Finance but stated, “fundamentally government could not just take the money and pass it on to a private entity… It would be a no-no.”

It is not clear what adjustments, if any, have been made.

The invitation for bids for the second phase of the project closes on August 12.