Public/Private Partnership Contracts - Six Projects Under Execution

They are part of the 21 earmarked for private financing by the State early this year.

Of the 21 projects the government of Cameroon in January 2013 programmed for financing and execution under the Public/Private Partnership Contracts in sectors like transport, urban development, energy and the agro-food industry, contracts have been awarded for the execution of six. Going by a release issued on June 10 and published in Cameroon Tribune on Friday June 14, 2013 by the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, the contractors are all expatriate firms from France, South Korea and South Africa. But sources say nationals could be brought in as sub-contractors when execution begins.

Kribi Deep Sea Port Multi-purpose Terminal

This is one of the projects in the transport sector and it will be the second phase of the Kribi Deep Sea Port project. The multipurpose terminal, like all the other projects under the Public/Private Partnership Contracts framework, will be executed under the Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) mechanism so that the win-win aspect could be ascertained. The contract has been awarded to a French firm, Bolloré Africa Logistics, said to be a leading integrated logistics network on the African continent and the leading operator of public-private partnerships in the port and rail sectors.

Edea-Kribi Railway Lines

The project consists in building a 100-km railway line between Edea and the growing industrial town of Kribi. The project is meant to facilitate movement of especially goods destined for export when the Kribi Deep Seaport Project under construction would have been operational. Construction will be assured by a consortium comprising Bouygues and DTP Terrassement.

Douala-Limbe Railway Lines

A South African form, Flasworx Capital Management, has the task of constructing the 70-km railway line between the economic capital, Douala, and the sea-side resort town of Limbe. When operational, the railway lines will boost economic activities between the two towns especially with a planned construction of a sea port in Limbe deeper than the one in Douala. This could help in conveying certain products especially from Limbe to Douala that would have been shipped through Limbe by virtue of the depths of its waters.

Other Projects

The Yaounde and Douala Tramways (congested freeways) to be constructed by Alstom Transport S.A and the specialised port for cement in Limbe to be constructed by a Guemgang/LPDC consortium are also under execution. The contractors are discussing the terms of Memorandums of Understanding, the starting point of the projects' execution, with the Support Council for the Realisation of Partnership Contracts (CARPA).

Those Awaiting Attribution

Meanwhile, others like the 120-km double-carriage road between Edea and Kribi, the construction of student hostels in the Universities of Yaounde II, Dschang, Bamenda and Maroua with a capacity of 2,500 beds each, as well as 5,000 social housing units each in Yaounde and Douala are still awaiting attribution. There is also an envisaged construction of wind energy in Mount Bamboutos, a hydroelectric plants in Bini à Warak, Njock on the Nyong River and in Menchum, as well as the construction of warehouses for foodstuffs in Yaounde, Foumbot, Mbouda and Mvangan.