– “somebody is leaving this contract filthy rich”The Opposition is demanding Government to come clean and give the Guyanese public aHarmon (facing camera with sunglasses) and a number of Timehri residents look over the northern end of the runway where further expansion has been abandonedcomprehensive report on the current multi-billion expansion project at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).According to Member of Parliament, Joseph Harmon, of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), the largest Opposition faction, information is that several changes have been made to the airport project’s initial plans.“Some financial experts estimate that the true cost of the project is not going to be US$155M or US$158M, because when you add the several benefits attached,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, which the contractor is not paying for (included incentives like tax breaks) they estimate that we are looking in the vicinity of US$250M.”Harmon asserted that the country is still to draw down on the Chinese loan US$130M loan slated for the airport’s expansion. He told media operatives yesterday that money being expended on the CJIA expansion project so far is that from the Treasury.Harmon was speaking during a special press conference briefing at Timehri where he highlighted several inconsistencies with the project for which a contract was signed between Government and the Chinese contractor, China Harbour Engineering Corporation (CHEC).Harmon explained that some of the changes now being made are as a result of poor planning and insufficient preliminary work, which will cost the Guyanese taxpayers an additional sum, estimated at US$20M. Outside of this, Harmon reported that further estimates – based on the contract agreements; benefits and advantages for the Chinese company, will take the expansion project beyond its initial US$155M cost, to over US$200M.The new sandpit CHEC was given the go-ahead to excavate.The Parliamentarian pointed out that according to the contract between Guyana and China,Cheap NFL Jerseys, before Government could have drawn down on the loan from the Chinese Export-Import?Bank,Cheap Baseball Jerseys China, it would have had to pay up US$20M in advance payments.These advances, Harmon listed, will see G$270M going to CHEC for supervisory work; $122M for China Harbour’s site accommodation, (which is currently under construction about a mile away from CJIA); $70M for temporary roads, $60M for traffic control during the construction period, $238M for insurance and $150M for performance bond (which CHEC is required to provide,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, but is being paid by the government with tax dollars). Another $100M will cover the cost of advance payments guarantee, $20M will go toward the drawings/ illustration of the finished project; $41M for signs and markings and $1.5M for layout structures and systems.“All of this money is coming out of taxpayers’ pockets. It is our money,” Harmon charged. He opined that, “someone got to be making a lot of money on this contract and somebody is leaving this contract filthy rich.”Harmon claimed that the real problem to the government is the poor preliminary work done on the project. “The cost of the expansion is likely to be increased by an additional US$20M because of “slackness” on the part of the administration; poor contract negotiations and poor planning for which we will be burden with that additional US$20M.”On August 17, 2014, Public Works Minister Robeson Benn announced that the airport’s runway extension was marred by various problems. These include the provision of sand to the work site and soil composition issues. Government must now tell the Guyanese public what is happening with the airport expansion project, the MP demanded.Harmon said that the contract stipulate that Government will provide sand to the work site, instead, the Chinese contractor has been granted permission to open a new sand mining pit from which they are removing sand from right within the community.Another major issue raised by Harmon is the fact that CJIA and the Government has run into problems with the extension of the main runway at the north end. Engineers have reportedly found problems with the soil which could prove an issue with the foundation. Engineers are now testing soil in the south- the other end of the runway to determine the possibilities. With the Demerara River to the south and the Dakara Creek to the north, the options seem limited.Additionally, no word has been given pertaining to the Timehri residents whose homes Government had signaled intentions to bulldoze if they fail to remove. Government said that residents are squatting on airport property, but Harmon insisted that Benn “has to come better when addres