The Ogle Airstrip was yesterday certified as an international airport, in a move hailed as having significant positive implications for air travel between Guyana and the rest of the Caricom member states.
Following a ceremony held at the new airport, Transport Minister Robeson Benn handed over the document certifying the airstrip as an airport to Chairman of the Ogle Airport Board Inc Michael Correia Jr.
The ceremony was also scheduled to have “the ceremonial signing of the contract” for the completion of Phase II of a 4,000 ft ICAO Class II C Runway, but this did not occur. Work on this phase has already commenced and is ahead of schedule. BK International was awarded the contract. The timeline for this phase to be completed is between 12 to 18 months. The cost of this phase is about 1.5 million euros which was provided by the European Union.
In the feature address, President Bharrat Jagdeo, while commending this particular initiative said that the country now needed to focus on other projects that would aid in its development. He urged the private sector to take on new challenges that would take Guyana forward.
Describing the project as “excellent”, the Head of State said “we must never linger too long admiring our efforts…we don’t have much time. We need to move on to something else.”
He said that there were many areas in which the private sector could engage which would aid in the country’s development and which would reap financial rewards for these entrepreneurs. Jagdeo said that risks needed to be taken, even as he pointed out that his administration had taken risks when undertaking projects such as the Berbice Bridge, the National Convention Centre and the Providence Stadium. He said these risks had paid off.
Caricom Secretary-General Edwin Carrington underscored the importance of the airport to the region. Caricom was instrumental in securing funding from the European Union for the project.
Carrington said the establishment of the airport served to benefit the region in several positive ways. Among these benefits was the improvement of intra-Caricom air travel and transportation between Ogle and Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. He said the airport would also serve as a transit point for flights from these territories. Additionally, Carrington noted that the airport would facilitate air travel between Caricom and Latin America particularly Brazil, Venezuela and French Guiana. He also said that it would facilitate easier travel by Caricom Heads of Government to Guyana by the provision of direct flights to the airport. He said that this could result in more regional meetings being held in the country in addition to the community saving more money.
Carrington also noted that the new airport would serve to promote Caribbean tourism by twinning the traditional form of tourism with the eco-tourism potential of Guyana.
He also noted that the development of infrastructure as it related to transportation was an important issue in the region. He said the community is considering the establishment of an intra-regional ferry for the Southern Caribbean region.
He said he hopes the infrastructure funds which the European Union has promised to supply would be used to improve transportation in the region.
Ambassador of the Euro-pean Commission to Guyana Geert Heikens noted that funding for this project came from the Ninth Envelope of the European Development Fund. He said the commission was pleased with the progress of the project so far.
He acknowledged that “interconnectivity” among the various territories in the region was a concern and that 165 million euros has been set aside to help the region in this regard. He said the European Union is working towards the establishment of an Infrastructure Fund in the region and the details of which are being worked out with Caricom.
Benn identified the project as yet another effort by the government to develop the country’s transport infrastructure. The minister outlined some of the recent steps undertaken to improve the country’s transportation sector. He noted that the development in relation to the Ogle Airport was not only important for Guyana’s development but also for that of the region.
Benn then criticized some sections of the media for the negativity in reporting aspects of national development in Guyana. He said this does “a disservice” to the efforts of both the government and the people who worked daily to develop the country.
Labelling it “carrion crow journalism”, Benn said the attitude was one that falsely portrayed that no partnership whether it was a public/private effort or collaborations with international organizations could be successful.
The minister, meanwhile, called on the Ogle Airport Inc to manage the airport in keeping with its new status as an international airport, and urged management to pay attention to continuously improving safety and efficiency. He admitted that sometimes things are not done with the “alacrity or the efficiency required” but these are challenges that need to be dealt with and overcome.
