CJIA expansion contractor hit with US$7,000 per day penalty

The new conveyor belt in the arrival lounge.

After failing to meet its December 31st, 2018 deadline for the completion of the US$150 million Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project, Chinese contractor China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) is being penalised US$7,000 per day until the work is completed, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson announced yesterday.

“The contract expired December 31st, 2018 and that remains the case. We are not granting any extensions after December 31st, 2018. In our opinion, we believe that the contractor did not have adequate resources to ensure that he met his contractual obligation,” Patterson yesterday told the press following a tour of the project site. 

“It is the contractor’s obligation to finish the project. We have said that December 31st was the contract date and anything after that, the contractor is responsible…that penalty is currently being instituted,” he added.