CJIA Upgrades: Govt rejects request for further extension by Avinash Contracting

Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill has rejected a request for further extension of the project deadline by Avinash Contracting & Scrap Metal Incorporated for the completion of the Administration Building at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

Instead, the minister has instructed the contractor to either increase its workforce or bring in a subcontractor to meet the June 30, 2025, deadline.

“If you cannot source the labour, you’ll have to subcontract the people who could get this done. I’m working with June 30th. I’m not going to September. That’s our agreement,” Edghill posited during a recent site inspection.

The contract for the construction of the new administration building is valued some $890 million. It is expected to house over 300 airport staff when completed.

During the site visit, the contractor reported that the project is only 50% completed. The contractor cited labour shortages as the primary reason for delays and its request for an extension to the project deadline.

The contract was awarded in 2022, with a deadline of December 2024, after the contractor was granted an 8-month extension.

Edghill has made it clear that another delay is unacceptable.

The minister also questioned the contractor’s project management approach, stating that multiple aspects of the construction—such as electrical and plumbing—should be executed simultaneously instead of sequentially.

“I don’t want any disappointments. My president starts to work very early in the morning before contractors. So if it means that you gotta start to work early, he’s setting an example of how we have to implement things in Guyana,” Edghill expressed.

In addition to new administration building, works are ongoing on a new commercial centre, VIP lounge, tarmac or aircraft parking areas, and improved baggage handling facility.