A month after the contractor halted work at the Hoima international airport, citing a shortage of government money, work has now resumed.
After the government failed to provide them with more than 126 billion Shillings to finish the remaining works, the contractor for the airport construction works, a joint venture of Israeli-British firms, Shikun & Binui International-SBI/Colas limited, halted the construction works at the airport in February.
State Minister for Works Fred Byamukama stated that the government was looking into the contractor for allegedly inflating prices for various building materials used in the airport’s construction during a field visit in February.
He claimed that the contractor is accused of conspiring with some senior government figures to steal money intended for the airport’s construction.
Inexplicably, the contractor wanted an additional 126 billion shillings from the government to finish the airport’s construction, but the government had already approved the two hundred sixty-four million euros the contractor required for the entire project.
According to Byamukama, the government is in talks with the contractor, but if such talks fail to produce results, the government may decide to end the contract.
According to SBC’s communications manager, Amos Muriisa, the money is required to finish the control tower and other airport operations.
Although he expressed optimism that they will fulfil the deadline and turn over the airport to the government by June, he did say that the contractor and government agreed to resume work on Friday.
The Standard Chartered Bank-financed airport, which will cost USD 309 million, will include a fire station, an apron, a control tower, worker housing, parallel runways, a taxiway, an air rescue firefighting house, a power substation house, communications and navigation systems, a perimeter fence, and an air-ground illumination system, among other amenities. It will also be able to accommodate four cargo planes at once.
The 3.5 km by 45 m runway is 98 percent complete, and the buildings housing the cargo terminal, limited-capacity passenger terminal, air rescue firefighting house, power substation house, and air-ground lighting system are all between 89 and 90% complete.
The airport is one of the most important support infrastructures for the upcoming fast-paced activities leading to commercial oil production.
89 percent of employees are currently employed at the airport. The airport’s construction project got underway in April 2018 and was anticipated to be finished in June 2019.