NATIONAL Infrastructure Development Company (NIDCO) chairman Herbert George says the cost of constructing the new terminal at the ANR Robinson International Airport, Crown Point, Tobago, currently stands at US$129,839,518. He said the final contract sum will be determined following the outcome of the evaluation of claims which have been submitted by the contractor, China Railway Construction Caribbean Company Ltd, “as he is entitled to do under the contract we have with him.” George was speaking at a ceremony to mark the practical completion of the new terminal on March 15. He said the project, managed by NIDCO, began on July 18, 2020 and was expected to be completed in July 2022, at an original contract sum of US$128, 663, 741. George said a variety of risks impacted the project, including the late delivery of the site to the contractor, covid19 and supply-chain difficulties and variations. He added, “It should, however, be noted that the extra time for completion has led to an increase in the employers’ costs to consultants, employers’ representatives, employers’ reviewers and technical reviewers which will add to the overall project budget.” George said the terminal is expected to be completed and handed over in about three to four months, “which will be the time needed for commissioning and performance testing of all equipment and for carrying out the operational readiness and airport-transfer programme.” The latter, he said, will be an integral part of the successful operation of the facility by the end users. Built to International Civil Aviation Organisation standards on 25,500 square metres, George said the two-storey terminal building will provide full service for domestic and international travellers. “We are heartened to know that the built facility will provide an enhanced airport service with increased passenger input. And since passenger arrival by air is a key metric of the economic health of the tourism sector, this new facility has the potential for growth in the tourism sector.” Tobago West MP Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis, in her remarks, urged Tobagonians to get serious about service and improving the island’s room stock. “If tourism is our business, then we must be serious about service and if we really want to fill the front of the plane, then we need quality hotel rooms and guesthouses must be properly managed and maintained,” she said. She said the construction of a new terminal is only a part of the equation. “Now we need all hands on deck.” Cudjoe-Lewis described the airport as a “monumental game-changer,” which will create jobs for her constituents, economic activity for residents and more direct flights from across the world, attracting new markets to the island. “We are in it to win it and the sky is the limit. Endless possibilities as a result of this fine state facility.” Lauding Dr Rowley’s vision for the project, Cudjoe-Lewis said Tobago, over the years, has “endured a litany of election promises, political mamaguy and deceit. “But you, Mr Prime Minister, you promised to deliver and deliver you did.” She urged Tobagonians to “seize the moment, put away all biases and political distractions and make a solemn vow to band together and maximise this airport’s fullest potential.”