Christopher Jator Njechu
12 May 2008
Government has initiated the construction of an FCFA-280 billion deep sea port at Grand Batanga in Kribi, Littoral Province.
The Kribi deep sea port project will motivate the exploitation of ore resources in the country and provide the leeway for other development initiatives around the area.The project is expected to provide the Central African sub-region with a container off-shore terminal, goods distribution from Senegal to Namibia and a transhipment facility.
Besides satisfying the country's need for a deep sea port and an annual profitability of 11.5 - 16.3 percent, the sea port will also pave the way for economic development in countries like DR Congo, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea.
In order to have a better knowledge of the Kribi Deep Sea Port in relation to the importance of socio-economic development, a two-day workshop was organised at the Yaounde Hilton Hotel, May 8 - 9.
The session also aimed at seeking ways to persuade funding bodies to consider financing the project.Members of government present at the workshop expressed optimism that many donor organisations were ready to help Cameroon to accomplish its goal but are only waiting for its kick-off whose date is yet to be fixed.
During the opening ceremony, the Minister of Public Works, Bernard Messengue Avom, said Cameroon needs motorable roads linking various areas to ensure transit of goods and raw materials for the project to succeed.
He said the ore resources sector will witness boom, especially with the exploitation of cobalt, bauxite, nickel and iron.The Minister announced the construction and rehabilitation of roads linking Kribi to Yaounde, Ngaoundere, N'Djamena, and another linking Kribi to, Bertoua, Bangui and Kribi-Ebolowa, Sangmelima, Mintom, Ouesso, Brazzaville and Mintom-Nola, Bangui to Kisangani.
Avom also announced the eminent construction of related facilities like railways, rehabilitation of industrial areas, energy and urban development.The construction project has been put under the China National Electric Equipment Corporation.
Apart from the Senior Engineer and Deputy General Manager of the Chinese construction company, Xu Jifei, the workshop was attended by the Minister of Finance, Essimi Menye, Minister of Mines and Technological Development, Badel Ndanga Ndinga and the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Louis Paul Motaze.
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