China Harbour Engineering Company has announced that the phase one for the rehabilitation of Juba International Airport has been completed and work has started for phase two of the project. This announcement came yesterday during a visit to the construction sites by government officials.

Speaking on Thursday, Deputy Minister of Transport, Roads and Bridges Simon Mijok Mijak said that the government has received a request from the company for the airport to be closed on Saturdays and Sundays to allow them to complete their work within the 30 months given for the project.

“This project was launched on 7 July 2014 and now it is one year and the contract is for 30 months, so we have come to see the progress of the work after one year and that is the objective of our visit,” Mijok said.

President Salva Kiir last year launched the resumption of construction of the new Juba International Airport. The construction project expected to take 30 months was reportedly funded by a loan from China’s Export-Import (EXIM) Bank.

The upgrade of Juba Airport will include extending the airport's runway from 2,400 meters to 3,100 meters, the construction of duty-free shops and more parking lots, and the expansion of immigration offices.

Liberal Party demands to know cost of project

The opposition People's Liberal Party has demanded to know the total amount the government has expended on the airport construction and why the project has taken so long to complete.

PLP leader Peter Mayen Majongdit said, “The construction actually started in 2006 and until now the construction of the airport and the renovation has not been finalized. Therefore we strongly feel that we the public demand to know when is the airport finishing and how much amount of money has been utilized so far on the construction of the airport.”

“We want to know is the problem with the contractor? They are not serious? Is the problem the government, through the ministry of transport? Or is there lack of finance? Or is there any corruption allegations that is related to this project?” he added.

'Worst airport in the world'

Majongdit continued, “This is not a new project. It is a project that should have finished a long time ago. But the government is silent and the airport is still the way it is... South Sudan has the worst airport in the world.”

Mayen was speaking on Radio Miraya. “That is not the standard what an international airport should be, which is actually being contructed with huge amount of money,” he said.

He said that every time a new transport minister comes in the terms of the project seem to change. He hinted at the possibility of corruption or “lack of seriousness and commitment.”

“The money belongs to us the South Sudanese and we deserve to know what the money has been spent for,” he said, further calling for a parliamentary investigation of the airport project.

Photo: President Salva Kiir receiving a gift from China Harbour officials in July 2014 (Radio Tamazuj)