The APNU+AFC de facto regime is now say­ing that the US$150M was insufficient to build a new airport. Mr Harmon hinted that as a result, the regime was planning to modify the contract to allow it to be completed with the funds available. 

This implies that the new airport would not be of the the same high stan­dards as was envisaged by the PPP/Civic government. 

The Weekend Mirror spoke with former President Donald Ramotar, and in an invited comment on this new development in relation to this very impor­tant project, he stated that the regime was going down a dangerous road which would see a significant cut in the original design and/or a sharp increase in the cost of the project. 

Mr Ramotar point­ed out that the CJIA proj­ect was a ‘design and build project.’ He added that it was a ‘fixed price project’ or what is popularly known as a ‘turn key’ project. 

The former Head of State said that the company, China Harbour, had done the design and was contrac­tually committed to deliver the project at the cost they agreed on. 

He pointed out that approximately a year ago, China Harbour met with him and requested an in­crease in the contract sum, but he had denied this re­quest on the grounds that the contract was for deliv­ery at the agreed price. 

Mr Ramotar, there­fore, expressed surprise that Mr Harmon would have taken the position he did. He was of the view that Mr Harmon had knowledge of the contract since he met with China Harbour and went on all-expense paid trip to Jamaica as a guest of the company. 

To modify the con­tract now would be a great disservice to the nation and will either give Guyana a sub-standard job or a high cost, overrun project, Mr Ramotar added. 

He opined that the de facto regime should re­assess its position on modi­fying the contract and ex­pressed the hope that it is not too late to do so.