The Japan Bank for International Cooperation is asking Transportation and Communication Secretary Leandro Mendoza to complete the Silay airport construction this year ahead of the target completion date of January 2007.

The JBIC chief representative Osamu Murata is asking that the project be stepped up as the current year marks the 50th anniversary of the Philippine-Japan diplomatic relations, Gov. Joseph Marañon said yesterday.

Actual accomplishment of work on the new airport as of December 2005 was 21.9 percent vis-à-vis the target per catch-up program of 22.78 percent resulting to a negative slippage of .8 percent, Murata said in a letter to Mendoza.

Murata said the JBIC learned that it was necessary for the DOTC to close the existing barangay road and turn it over to the contractor by December 2005, and handover the PALS (precision approach lighting system) area to the contractor by October 2005.

However, as of February the barangay road was not available to the contractor and the PALS area was made available on last December 2005, Murata added.*CPG

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