Turks and Caicos Islands
The Howard Hamilton International Airport has not been sold and there is no intention to completely privatise the facility.
An increasingly important theme in airport government policy around the world and nearly always controversial, is private sector involvement or privatisation.
Similarly, the Howard Hamilton International Airport formerly the Providenciales International Airport has seen its fair share of contention, ever since the government announced its intention to seek a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for the redevelopment of the facility.
However, Chair of the Board of Directors for the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (‘TCIAA’) Mr Selvyn Hawkin in an attempt to set the record straight, said no preferred bidder or partner has been identified for the redevelopment of the airport.
One of the things we think is important to clarify in this process is that there has been no sale and there is no intent to sell the airport or to completely privatise it , he explained during a recent town hall meeting.
Hawkins argued that the PPP model being proposed to potential investors will in fact do the opposite and allow the TCIAA and by extension the TCI government, to leverage the expertise and skills of the private sector whilst maintaining ownership of the asset at all times.
We’ve been given the green light to explore the possibility of redeveloping the airport by a private-public partnership, and just for the record, I want to say that the process as far as we know has been wholly compliant with TCI laws, so we’re starting off on good footing.
“I know some persons may say it has taken quite a long time to get here, but we got here because every step of the way, we were trying to make sure that we complied with TCI law.
He underscored that the PPP process is being explored by running an open, transparent and public tender exercise under the supervision of the Government s Procurement Board to further explore if value for money can be obtained through such a project.
He emphasised that if in the end, the project yields unfavourable results, the project as intended will have to be reconsidered or possibly abandoned.
Need for redevelopment
The multi-million dollar redevelopment and modernisation of the airport in Providenciales, TCI s main gateway for international travel is deemed a priority project for the government, as the island s economy is largely dependent on tourism.
Turning his attention to the plethora of challenges facing the airport, which handles an increasingly high traffic volume, Hawkins reminded that it is no secret that the airport is in dire need of expansion and upgrade.
He said: It’s indicative that there’s a demand for the Turks and Caicos that exceeds our ability to meet it on our own in terms of infrastructure.
And so, we realised that we need to maximise these opportunities to address terminal passenger constraints, airside constraints, constraints resulting in late arrivals and late departures, health and safety concerns, due to the congestion that’s currently there, and just the state of the current asset itself, there are concerns with regulatory compliance, there’s a need for enhancing our maintenance and obtaining better procurement.
He acknowledged that the territory has been very fortunate to have a robust tourism sector and its main airport has to reflect the tourism luxury brand.
We are an award-winning traveller s destination, with several accolades around the world, connected to our beaches, and to the services that we provide on the luxury tourism scene.
I’m happy to note that the reputation we boast is that of luxury or niche tourism and it’s something that we re working hard to preserve.
But one of the things that we want to set in is that, whilst we may be thriving on the fact that we are luxury, tourism award winning tourism destination, traveling into the destination at present, doesn’t seem so luxurious.
It’s just the reality of what we’re currently faced with at the Howard Hamilton International Airport.
And so, I think the pictures alone are revealing in that not only is there a need for a new terminal, but there’s a need for bringing in some form of world-class or international expertise in understanding what is needed to meet the international demands of what we would say should be the transport or gateway to a luxury destination.
The airport registered 1.2m passengers in 2019, demonstrating a steady growth over the past decade, and it is estimated that by the year 2040, those numbers will double reaching about 2m passengers annually.
In the aftermath of Covid-19, travel into and throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands returned at a rapid rate and surpassed its pre-pandemic traffic volume.
If all goes according to plans, the massive project will see the construction of a new passenger terminal building of a minimum of 270,000 square feet for a capacity of approximately 2.5m passengers including boarding bridges, increased commercial areas and increased VIP lounges and an expansion of the airside to add domestic and international standards, including the addition of a parallel taxiway.
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United States Virgin Islands
Property and Procurement Acting Commissioner Lisa Alejandro is one step closer to dropping “acting” from her job title after a Thursday meeting of the Rules and Judiciary Committee.
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. tapped Alejandro to lead the department in February following the resignation of former Commissioner Anthony Thomas. She previously served as Property and Procurement’s assistant commissioner, overseeing the Procurement, Vendor Management and Central Stores divisions.
Flanked by family and supporters, Alejandro testified Thursday that she was aware of “the opportunities and challenges we face as the custodian agency of the Government’s fleet, its property, assets and all acquisitions.”
Alejandro said two of her priorities will be managing the fleet of vehicles and reducing bureaucracies to make the property management and procurement system more efficient and transparent.
Upon approving Alejandro’s nomination, Committee Chair Sen. Diane Capehart told her she had cleared the first hurdle in her path to becoming Property and Procurement Commissioner.
“Your resume, your experiences, says it all for yourself,” Capehart said. “You are one of those nominations that I knew — right off the bat —that you would go through this committee favorably.”
Lawmakers later approved a slew of official acts and resolutions, including five which recognize and celebrate notable Virgin Islanders.
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Jamaica
St Andrew businesswoman who hauled the Ministry of Health before the courts to seek a judicial review of its designation of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) as the only contractor authorised to collect ship or vessel waste, has been sent packing by the Supreme Court.
The court in refusing an order sought by the woman to quash that decision of the ministry in relation to the NSWMA, also shot down her bid to have the courts direct the health ministry to permit her to continue conducting her commercial venture of disposing of maritime waste.
Additionally, a September 2022 injunction granted by the courts which had forced the health ministry to permit the entrepreneur to continue her business of dumping maritime waste was also discharged by the court in the recent decision.
The court, in the ruling handed down at the end of July in relation to the orders sought by the businesswoman, said for it to “compel the [health minister] to permit the claimant to continue to conduct her business of disposal of maritime waste would be to interfere with the discretion of the decision maker”.
It said based on its analysis of the legal arguments presented by the businesswoman through her attorneys, she had failed “on a balance of probabilities to show that the decision was illegal”, hence the orders it made in refusing her claim.
Furthermore, the court found that the businesswoman had no contract with the ministry or the Government of Jamaica even though she is licensed under the Public Procurement Act and has been given a Public Procurement Commission Certificate of Registration and Classification for goods and services for garbage collection and disposal. The court, however, noted that while she can be included on the Government of Jamaica Approved Register in the category of transportation and haulage of – garbage collection and disposal, it was of the view that the certificate only places her in position to be considered in procurement exercises specifically related to transportation and haulage – garbage collection and disposal. It further noted that the certificate makes no reference to ship-generated waste or maritime waste.
The marketing and consultancy firm owned and operated by the woman focuses on waste disposal, specifically the collection and disposal of garbage and other waste from maritime vessels with the approval of the Port Health and Quarantine services (Port Health) which is operated by the Ministry of Health. The woman, who had been involved in the business since September 2021, was, however, advised by a client in October of the same year that based on an e-mail from the senior quarantine officer of Port Health, the NSWMA is the only authority authorised to collect maritime waste.
The woman, supposedly, a former NSWMA worker, following fruitless attempts to clarify this with Port Health and the Maritime Association of Jamaica, sought a judicial review of the decision and the orders of the court to force the entities to permit her to continue her business.
A Ministry of Health official, in countering the woman’s claims that it had acted illegally, said the ministry being responsible for monitoring the maintenance of proper health standards had vested the NSWMA as the sole collector of ship-generated waste.
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Guyana
The Ministry of Public Works (MoPW) is set to approach the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) to discuss blacklisting Trinidadian company, Kallco Guyana Inc, as a “non-performing contractor.”
“Basically, the end result will be that Kallco will have to be removed from these projects. We have to ensure we follow the terms and conditions of the contract and he will be deemed a non-performing contractor, and we will have to say to the tender board that he is a non-performing contractor and that he should not be given any work in Guyana”, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill told Stabroek News yesterday.
Kallco (Guyana) Inc was contracted to complete a sector of the East Coast Demerara Highway road project that will connect with Dennis Street in Georgetown.
The project which begins at the Conversation Tree corridor, is approximately 1.9 kilometres from the Rupert Craig Highway and will connect to Dennis Street. It will also be linked to Sheriff Street from the Dennis Street corridor
This project was split into two lots. Lot 8 A is being executed by S Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc, to the tune of $1,066, 358,738, while Lot 8 B was awarded to a Trinidadian company, Kallco Guyana Inc, to the tune of $830,293,458. The project was awarded by NPTAB last year.
Since then, some 65 per cent of the contract time has elapsed with only approximately 25 per cent of the work completed. Coupled with that, residents have been complaining about stagnant water, which is breeding mosquitos, and the lack of access to their properties.
Due to the complaints and non-performance, MoPW had made the decision to have the company produce a proposal to the Ministry of Public Works detailing how it planned to complete the second leg of the project.
This came after officials from the company had met with the Minister of Public Works and other officials to discuss the way forward. This was merely a week after a letter of poor performance was issued to the company.
This project was split into two lots. Lot 8 A is being executed by S Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc, to the tune of $1,066, 358,738, while Lot 8 B was awarded to a Trinidadian company, Kallco Guyana Inc, to the tune of $830,293,458. The project was awarded by NPTAB last year.
Since then, some 65 per cent of the contract time has elapsed with only approximately 25 per cent of the work completed. Coupled with that, residents have been complaining about stagnant water, which is breeding mosquitos, and the lack of access to their properties.
Due to the complaints and non-performance, MoPW had made the decision to have the company produce a proposal to the Ministry of Public Works detailing how it planned to complete the second leg of the project.
This came after officials from the company had met with the Minister of Public Works and other officials to discuss the way forward. This was merely a week after a letter of poor performance was issued to the company.
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Guyana
FACING the possibility of being blacklisted in Guyana and removed from two ongoing projects there, the principals of Kallco are expected to meet with that country’s Public Works minister this afternoon.
Guyana’s Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill confirmed the meeting with the Express yesterday.
Attempts to contact Kallco’s managing director Arvin Kalloo for comment on the situation, however, proved futile yesterday.
In 2021 Kalloo signed a contract valued at over Guy$513.7 million for Kallco Guyana Incorporated to construct offices at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
This is one of two projects that Kallco Guyana is currently involved in that Edghill said the company could possibly be removed from.
The meeting between Kallco’s principals and the ministry comes one week after Edghill told the Express that Kallco Guyana Incorporated is a “non-performing contractor” and should therefore not be permitted to do any more work in that country.
Edghill announced that he intended to take steps to ensure that is done, including having the contractor removed from ongoing projects.
However, Kallco’s attorneys said they believe Edghill’s words are “highly defamatory, not justified” and that this newspaper should be sued if it writes the story.
Kallco’s attorneys have denied the claims against the company.
This is the latest in an ongoing situation involving Kallco Guyana Incorporated and the Public Works Ministry, arising out of ongoing roadworks in Guyana.
It all began late last month when the Ministry of Public Works in Guyana, signalled its intention to issue letters of poor and non-performance to contractor Kallco Guyana Incorporated, accompanied by specific instructions to urgently address the issues pertaining to a billion-Guyanese dollar road improvement project on the East Coast Demerara Highway.
Tomorrow’s meeting, however, is not the first time that Kallco has tried to plead its case to the minister.
Kallco personnel were also summoned to the minister’s office, where they were ordered to submit a proposal outlining plans for completing the portion of billion-dollar roadworks project on time.
That document was eventually submitted.
“It is clear from what has been presented to us both in writing and in printed form that Kallco won’t be able to complete the project in the stipulated time,” Edghill told the Express during a WhatsApp call last week.
“And therefore we have deemed them a non-performing contractor,” he said.
Edghill said the ministry will be working to ensure it follows the terms and conditions of Kallco’s contract.
But “they should not be getting any other work”, he added.
The Ministry of Public Works is expected to approach the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) to discuss blacklisting Kallco Guyana Inc as a “non-performing contractor”.
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This is one of two projects that Kallco Guyana is currently involved in that Edghill said the company could possibly be removed from.
The meeting between Kallco’s principals and the ministry comes one week after Edghill told the Express that Kallco Guyana Incorporated is a “non-performing contractor” and should therefore not be permitted to do any more work in that country.
Edghill announced that he intended to take steps to ensure that is done, including having the contractor removed from ongoing projects.
However, Kallco’s attorneys said they believe Edghill’s words are “highly defamatory, not justified” and that this newspaper should be sued if it writes the story.
Kallco’s attorneys have denied the claims against the company.
This is the latest in an ongoing situation involving Kallco Guyana Incorporated and the Public Works Ministry, arising out of ongoing roadworks in Guyana.
It all began late last month when the Ministry of Public Works in Guyana, signalled its intention to issue letters of poor and non-performance to contractor Kallco Guyana Incorporated, accompanied by specific instructions to urgently address the issues pertaining to a billion-Guyanese dollar road improvement project on the East Coast Demerara Highway.
Tomorrow’s meeting, however, is not the first time that Kallco has tried to plead its case to the minister.
Kallco personnel were also summoned to the minister’s office, where they were ordered to submit a proposal outlining plans for completing the portion of billion-dollar roadworks project on time.
That document was eventually submitted.
“It is clear from what has been presented to us both in writing and in printed form that Kallco won’t be able to complete the project in the stipulated time,” Edghill told the Express during a WhatsApp call last week.
“And therefore we have deemed them a non-performing contractor,” he said.
Edghill said the ministry will be working to ensure it follows the terms and conditions of Kallco’s contract.
But “they should not be getting any other work”, he added.
The Ministry of Public Works is expected to approach the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) to discuss blacklisting Kallco Guyana Inc as a “non-performing contractor”.
Last week in response to an attempt to get a comment on Edghill’s claims an e-mail from Kalloo’s attorneys Devesh Maharaj and Associates was received by the Express, titled “Proposed action for libel”.
It stated, “Our client’s principal was sent a WhatsApp message from your Mr Joel Julien, from the newspaper requesting that our client’s principal contact him about an ongoing situation with Kallco Guyana Inc.
“Counsel for Kallco, Mr Devesh Maharaj, was contacted by our client’s principal and our Mr Maharaj had a brief conversation with Mr Julien. Mr Julien informed Mr Maharaj that he had certain conversations with Minister Edghill concerning our client’s on-going works in Guyana. Further to this, Mr Julien stated that Mr Edghill made certain statements to him. These statements are highly defamatory and statements which our client denies and is of the opinion that if Mr Edghill made those statements he was not justified in so doing.
“We have taken the precaution of not reciting the statements that Mr Julien has made so as not to perpetuate the libel and we put you on notice that should those statements be published by Mr Julien, the newspaper or any of the arms of your news network, our client will immediately commence legal proceedings against you without delay for the obvious damage that these defamatory statements are likely to cause,” the legal letter added.
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