The 8th meeting of stakeholders involved in the development of Kribi Deep Seaport has ended in Yaounde with resolutions to effectively begin work this year.

The assessment meeting was chaired by the president of the pilot committee, Louis Paul Motaze, Minister of the Economy, Plan and Regional Development.

During the meeting stakeholders agreed to harmonise their actions and respect the project’s calendar in order to complete the first phase by 2013 when the first cargo ship is expected to anchor at Mboro, some 30 kilometres, South of Kribi.

Discussions centred on environmental studies, the effective take off of construction works, compensation of the displaced population as well as on the financing of basic infrastructure.
According to the calendar of the 300 billion CFA francs project, land and maritime technical equipment were acquired in April 2010. Works currently ongoing to create access roads to the project sites, provide electricity and potable water, are expected end in November and compensation of the affected population begins in August while the displaced persons will be relocated to new sites by October 2010.

Some 14 containers containing equipment destined to start the foundation of the deep seaport have been shipped to Cameroon for the drilling boreholes on the seabed in order to determine the depth and content of the seabed.

Work begins on phase two is expected to start in mid 2011 and the construction of specialised terminals for aluminium, hydrocarbons and containers will takes off from 2013.

The specialised terminals are expected to go operational before 2015. The Kribi deep sea port when complete would serve as a main business route especially for the exportation of mineral including bauxite, iron, cobalt and nickel. The port would also boost Cameroon’s economy as well as those of other countries in the Central African Sub region.

29/07/2010 (CRTV)