Cameroon’s Minister of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of the Hydrocarbon Price Stabilization Fund (CSPH) laid the foundation stone for a new gas filling center in Ebolowa which is expected to cost CFA6.4 billion based on the terms outlined in a restricted tender launched by the CSPH in late 2024 will have an initial capacity of 220 m³ for the filling and storage of domestic gas The center is scheduled for completion within 24 months with an expected delivery date in April 2027 These filling centers are designed to ensure that local communities can access gas at affordable prices While the official price for a 12 kg gas cylinder is set at CFA6,500 the gas is often sold for up to CFA10,000 in remote areas due to high transportation costs these centers – including those already built by CSPH in Maroua as well as by private companies such as Bocom and Green Oil – play a critical role in fighting deforestation and desertification These environmental issues are largely driven by the widespread use of firewood in households According to the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife Cameroon’s charcoal market is worth CFA17 billion annually it has been heavily criticized by NGOs for its destructive environmental impact Kribi Bitumen Plant Set to Start Construction in 2025 with Government Backing CEMAC Bond Market Hits CFA 8.45 Trillion in March 2025, Interest Rates Drop Cameroon’s Timber Output Projected to Rise in 2025 Despite Higher Export Taxes Central Africa Stock Exchange Sees 98% Drop in Trading Value in Q1 2025 Every week the economy and investment news from Cameroon Mboa Paris Trains 30 Young Cameroonians to Boost Tech and Entrepreneurship Cameroon Audit Targets Former Officials for Mismanagement in Agricultural Project Camwater Seeks Global Bids to Launch Bottled Water Lines in Five Cities Bafoussam Workshop Highlights Benefits of Cameroon-EU Trade Agreement Cameroon Could Reach 350,100 Tons of Cotton in 2025 (Beac) Paul Biya Appoints Johnny Razack as Chair of Cameroon’s National Investment Company Cameroon Refuses Work Visa Renewal for Casino and Super U Boss Over Toxic Workplace Claims Cameroon Joins Global Charter to Fight Illegal Fishing Tragedy has befallen Ebolowa as four siblings of the same family reportedly died after eating beans 7,10 and 24 years ate beans cooked by their mother for dinner and Friday the same food was served to them the next morning for breakfast The children started experiencing serious pains shortly after their mother had left for work They were immediately rushed to the Ebolowa Regional Hospital despite efforts by medical staff to save them The doctor on duty suspected food poisoning from contaminated beans as the likely cause of death has ordered an investigation to determine the source of the contamination while samples of the beans have also been collected for laboratory analysis The incident has sent shock waves across the South’s capital leaving the community in mourning and family in mourning The SDO who visited the hospital for information on the incident gave his support to the grieving family who are inconsolable following the tragic loss of the children les actualités camerounaises et la revue de presse Lebledparle.com à ne pas manquer Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) Actualité du Cameroun ce matin Contaminated beans Food poisoning Lebledparle.com is a site dedicated to news in Cameroon news from Cameroon and all useful information analyzes and all the news in real time and continuously (Business in Cameroon) - Cameroon’s National Center for Studies and Experimentation of Agricultural Machinery (Ceneema) has officially taken over the Ebolowa tractor assembly plant signed on November 13 in Yaoundé by Ceneema’s Director General also transfers all related assets to Ceneema Ceneema now owns and manages the plant and all equipment from the 2012 agreements between Cameroon and India These deals were supported by CFA21.3 billion in funding from Exim Bank of India which provided the country with its first 1,000 tractors. the Ebolowa plant manufactured 239 large-capacity tractors Ceneema plans to use this equipment to modernize farming practices and increase agricultural production across Cameroon. The machinery will be deployed to key farming zones and mechanization hubs across the country This will improve service delivery by reducing delays and cutting transport costs as regional hubs will be stocked with equipment closer to the farmers This change means fewer scheduling conflicts and quicker access to tools when needed. The Ebolowa plant’s journey has been challenging Construction began in 2010 with an estimated budget of CFA18.825 billion About 100 tractors assembled during testing were left outside due to unfinished storage facilities. the plant has a chance to fulfill its original purpose: driving agricultural innovation and equipping farmers with the tools they need to succeed. (ANS - Ebolowa) - Salesian Artur Bartol has been working as a missionary in Cameroon for several years: he does pastoral work leading a parish developing projects and educating children and youth and is also chaplain of the prison in the city of Ebolowa There inmates live in overcrowded conditions have many needs and receive little food and attention from the authorities Accompaniment and help are hallmarks of the Salesian charism who employed them with inmates at the "La Generala" prison in Turin taught inmates how to make liquid soap so that they could learn how to earn a living for when they return to freedom Convicted of various crimes and misdemeanors inmates inside the prison live in very difficult conditions any gesture or activity other than their routine is an encouragement to them Salesians who go to prison do not judge them for their past; rather they accompany them in the present and into the future help them and show them the beauty of the Gospel. So that they can earn an honest living once they leave prison Bartol taught them the art of soap making: first he taught them how to make soap powder and then liquid soap They learn how to make soap so that after they serve their time they can produce it for sale and earn a living with dignity," the Salesian explains. inmates live together regardless of their crimes in numbers far greater than those for which the facilities are designed heat and scarcity of water and food make the lives of the inmates very difficult and also promote the outbreak and spread of many diseases. he gained their trust and it was not difficult to start activities with them. "We organized not only courses for soap-making And during vacation periods or holidays we also set up sports tournaments," the Polish missionary says. Bartol enlisted the help of a soap-making professional to organize a comprehensive course inside the prison They first explained the theoretical part to the prisoners and then set up a workshop with the practical part Prisoners are given notebooks in which to write down the proportions and how many scoops or caps were needed to make the soap; on the other hand since no one had a scale to measure the weight The finished products are packaged in containers and sold with stickers that read "Soap produced in Ebolowa Prison under the direction of Don Bosco." In this way new materials and chemicals can be purchased with which to continue production which is repaid with the satisfaction of seeing them active today and leaning toward a future of true freedom tomorrow ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007 This site also uses third-party cookies to improve user experience and for statistical purposes By scrolling through this page or by clicking on any of its elements (MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are helping prisoners learn a trade in Ebolowa leads a Salesian parish in developing projects and educating youth He is also a chaplain at the prison in Ebolowa There prisoners live in overcrowded conditions and receive little food or attention from the authorities Bartol has recently taught the prisoners how to make liquid soap so that they can earn a living when they are released The prisoners have been convicted of various crimes and live in very difficult conditions Bartol does not judge them for their actions but rather helps them spiritually and prepares them in the hopes that they can turn their lives around they can produce it for sale and earn a living with dignity We organized not only courses for soap-making but also for learning to read and write because not everyone was able to do that And during vacation periods or holidays we also set up sports tournaments.” Bartol first taught the men to make soap powder and then liquid soap He enlisted the help of soap-making professionals to organize a comprehensive course inside the prison The course first explains the theoretical part of making soap and then there is a practical workshop to learn by hands-on training Students are given notebooks to write down the proportions and how many scoops or caps were needed to make the soap They can refer back to this when they are in the workshop “Soap produced in Ebolowa Prison under the direction of Don Bosco.” More than 30 percent of Cameroon’s population lives below the poverty line and human development indicators remain low people are often affected by natural disasters and below-average harvests which contribute to a continuing cycle of poverty and hunger Salesian missionaries in Cameroon provide education and social development services to poor youth so they are able to gain the training needed to find and retain long-term employment They in turn are able to give back to their families and communities ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS) ANS – Cameroon – Ebolowa prison prisoners learn how to make liquid soap thanks to Don Bosco and the Salesians Salesian Missions World Food Programme – Cameroon (Business in Cameroon) - The city of Ebolowa in South Cameroon is set to host a new domestic gas storage and filling center a project led by the Hydrocarbon Prices Stabilization Fund (CSPH) The center will cost an estimated CFA 6.4 billion CSPH has already invited bids from seven preselected companies to start work on the facility. CSPH expects to complete another gas filling center in Bamenda This announcement came during a site visit on February 16 The new facilities aim to ensure easier access to affordable domestic gas across the country despite the official price of CFA 6,500 for a 12kg bottle of domestic gas households in remote areas often pay as much as CFA 10,000 due to transportation costs These centers will reduce such disparities by shortening the supply chain. Expanding domestic gas use can help combat environmental degradation the reliance on firewood contributes to desertification charcoal sales alone generate CFA 17 billion annually in Cameroon highlighting the widespread dependence on wood fuel (Business in Cameroon) - Cameroon’s Hydrocarbon Price Stabilization Fund (CSPH) announced Monday it is recruiting companies to build a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage and filling center in Ebolowa The winning bidders will be responsible for building key infrastructure pumping stations for products and fire safety Their duties will also cover constructing administrative and technical buildings The selected companies will also construct a living base with recreational areas CSPH is also hiring a project supervisor to oversee the construction All bids must be submitted by September 18 This project will be financed by CSPH’s investment budget for 2024 and 2025 Although the budget for the work was not disclosed mentioned that bidders must provide proof of access to a credit line or other financial resources of at least CFA2 billion to fund the center's construction and CFA130 million for the living base The construction is expected to take 24 months Building this domestic gas storage facility aims to secure gas supply in the southern region at government-regulated prices This is expected to lower the cost of domestic gas in the area (Business in Cameroon) - The Puratos Group plans to set up a cocoa bean processing plant in Ebolowa during a meeting between Puratos representatives and local authorities in Ebolowa Puratos has shown interest in the quality of Cameroonian cocoa beans and is sponsoring several centers of excellence for post-harvest processing in the country stressed the significance of high-quality cocoa beans in producing premium chocolate during his 2019 visit to Cameroon Although specific details of the Ebolowa plant project are not yet available the facility will initially process 5,000 tons of cocoa beans annually with plans to gradually increase this capacity to 65,000 tons This announcement comes just a week after the groundbreaking ceremony for a new factory in Obala a company led by Frenchman Olivier Bordais aims to produce high-end "Made in Cameroon" chocolate according to Cameroonian Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana these new players will join a dynamic market that includes companies like Sic Cacaos (a subsidiary of Swiss Barry Callebaut) Chococam (owned by South Africa's Tiger Brands) Atlantic Cocoa (from Ivorian Kone Donsongui) and Cameroonian firms Neo Industry and Africa Processing Cameroon exported 73,236 tons of cocoa-derived products Cocoa and derivative sales brought in over CFA6 billion in 2022 industry insiders report that some of these processing units face bean shortages due to aggressive buying by exporters linked to major international traders This scarcity has forced some processors to request government permission to import beans or to put staff on technical leave during peak cocoa season Cameroon introduced an export tax on raw cocoa beans in its 2023 finance law Unprocessed cocoa beans are now subject to a 10% FOB export duty with a reduced rate of 2% for beans exported to industrial free zones or similar regimes Cameroon is far from its goal of processing 300,000 tons of cocoa beans annually as outlined in its cocoa-coffee sector recovery plan Achieving this target will require not only increasing production to 600,000 tons but also ensuring a stable supply of beans to processors amid intense competition from exporters Some industry stakeholders suggest implementing a quota system to balance bean purchases between exporters and processors (Business in Cameroon) - Japan may soon support the construction of a cocoa processing unit in Ebolowa 2 signed a partnership agreement with André Thomas Bengon for the construction of that processing unit According to the government daily Cameroon Tribune Japan will specifically support the construction of three buildings for fermentation Cameroon’s Minister of Trade Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana said Japan’s support to the project falls within the framework of the Aid to Local Projects Program implemented by the Japanese government in Cameroon since 1993. This processing unit will boost the volume of cocoa processed in the country therefore contributing to the 50% processing rate targeted by Cameroon local processors processed 62,341 tons of the 292,471 tons of cocoa marketed during the season This represented just a 21% processing rate. the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Ebolowa had a flurry of high-profile guests shuttle into its campus Amongst them were the Bishop of the Diocese of Ebolowa and the German Ambassador to Cameroon H.E Corinna Frike all were present in Ebolowa to inaugurate a workshop built within the campus by GROHE and a global leader in complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings Under its GROHE Installer Vocational Training and Education (GIVE) programme GROHE has just added Cameroon to its network of six countries in Africa where it runs the programme alongside Benin GROHE’s GIVE program will give the students at the Don Bosco Institute of Ebolowa who are interested in plumbing an opportunity to practice on world-class sanitary equipment in a live working environment with adequate tools thus giving them an upper hand in the market as noted by Jorg Nitschke This will make them knowledgeable and more competent in an industry that is now developing products for the future both in terms of design and sophistication and in environmental and sustainability issues The GIVE programme apart from giving young people skills to face life also aims to supply the sanitary industry which has been struggling to attract young and competent talent to the sector In a country like Cameroon this is even more evident as we have been witnessing a dwindle in skilled construction workers from electricians More than 3,000 students aged between 16 and 25 in Africa Europe and Asia have benefitted from the GIVE Program Training sessions are led by experienced technical trainers and at the end of their training the student gets an internationally-recognised certificate 120 young people from the Salesian communities of Ebolowa take part in the first edition of the "Biblical Week" at the St Augustine Salesian theologate The event is organized and guided by the Cameroon Youth Ministry team; Fr Alphonse Owoudou Superior of the Vice Province of Equatorial Tropical Africa (ATE) discussed the theme: "The disciples of Emmaus" (Business in Cameroon) - In a decree signed on August 4 President Paul Biya authorized Minister of Economy Alamine Ousmane Mey to sign a loan agreement for the construction of the Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road connecting Cameroon and Congo Minister Mey is to sign an over €198 million (over CFAF130 billion) loan agreement with Standard Chartered Bank London The loan is guaranteed by UK Export Finance The signing of this decree means that the parties have completed all the necessary steps to sign the financing agreement the conditions of this loan remain unknown. Once the loan is signed (at a yet-to-be-disclosed date), the funds will be gradually disbursed to the company in charge of the construction based on progress in the construction of the road which connects Congo to the port of Kribi. The Head of State's authorization follows the private contract signed on March 23 the Italian company responsible for building the 179.2-km Ebolowa- Akom -Kribi road with costs estimated at CFAF122.4 billion (all taxes included) The loan contracted is therefore CFAF8 billion higher than the estimated cost of the construction. Standard Chartered Bank required the Italian builder to comply with environmental requirements before signing the financing agreement required to start work distorting the planning of ICM, which had already announced that work would start in the second half of 2022 The construction of the Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road is a promise President Paul Biya made to populations in the South during the Ebolowa Agropastoral Show in 2011 The project was awarded to ICM following Paul Biya's state visit to Italy from March 20 to 22 The highly anticipated road is the missing link in the Kribi- Congo Border corridor Cameroon has already financed the construction of the 74-kilometer Sangmelima-Mengong road The Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road will connect Ebolowa to Sangmelima facilitating the transport of forestry resources from Congo to the port of Kribi (Business in Cameroon) - Central African States Bank has just started a restricted international recruitment for architects “to conduct preliminary studies on the construction of a building for the future centre in Ebolowa “the work will involve architectural and technical studies assisting the project foreman with the project’s approval the management of the work’s execution and assistance with delivery procedures.” Interested parties must submit their application to BEAC headquarters in Yaoundé Files will be opened an hour later in the presence of various applicant representatives whose presence in a given town attests to the latter’s economic importance will now have new branches in seven Cameroonian cities and towns Internal sources at the BEAC allege that the bank’s governance is thinking about opening a branch in Bertoua where almost all mining deposits are located (Business in Cameroon) - The Bank of Central African States (BEAC) has just awarded Africa Corporation (AFCORP) the contract to build its agency in Ebolowa AFCORP is one of the three subsidiaries of the Chadian construction group Société nouvelle d'études et des réalisations (SNER) which is already active on the construction sites of some structures as part of the Emergency Flood Control Project (PULCI) in the Far North region of Cameroon The Chadian group has thus secured the contract at the expense of local companies one of which sent a letter to the President of the Republic denouncing the award of this contract to a Chadian company accusing BEAC Governor Abbas Mahamat Tolli (photo) of having favored a compatriot who had not submitted the best offer Charges are denied by the Central Bank of CEMAC States which claims that the process of awarding this contract strictly respected regulatory procedures Colin Stewart is a 45-year journalism veteran living in Southern… Prison is a jungle where the law of the strongest reigns That’s the lesson that three innocent lesbians — Chrison Amso and Keli — learned this year when they were imprisoned in Ebolowa this article uses pseudonyms for all three women the three friends had been living together peacefully in an Ebolowa apartment which they could afford by working in a snack bar That tranquil life was thrown into turmoil when the parents of Keli accused Chrison and Amso of luring their daughter into lesbianism homosexual activity is punishable by up to five years in prison Judges often impose prison sentences when there’s no evidence other than the fact that people of the same sex who were accused of homosexuality were living together they could have bought their way out of the police station They were reluctant to leave their cells because they were afraid of the other prisoners others stole their meals and their toiletries They concluded that they had to stay strong to survive “Prison for lesbian women is very hard.” Chrison said “The other prisoners are wary of you thinking that you will sexually abuse them at any time they monitor you at all times and punish you at the slightest mistake a guard ordered us to clean a shared cell even though it was not our job to do so because it was other prisoners’ turn to clean it he punished us by forcing us to clean that cell for the next ten days.” Their time in prison was eased by Project Not Alone which delivered toiletries and food to them collects donations from readers for use on behalf of innocent LGBTI prisoners in Cameroon and Nigeria Project Not Alone has fed and freed 43 prisoners The three women’s prison sentence was scheduled to end May 14 but only if they could pay their fines and court costs Those amounted to a fine of 157,300 FCFA (about U.S $250) and court costs of 36,700 FCFA (about $60) for each of them which meant they would have to remain in prison for another four months to work off their debt Donations from readers paid what they owed — a total of 582,100 FCFA (about $930) Keli returned to her family home and opted out of an interview with a reporter from Erasing 76 Crimes Chrison and Amso were hired as waitresses in a snack bar run by an ally of Ebolowa’s LGBTI community Using a small advance from the snack bar they rented a room where they can resume their normal lives Chrison and Amso praised Project Not Alone for helping LGBTI people in difficulty They also expressed a hope that the project could expand its work by investing in newly released prisoners as they seek to rejoin society and get back on their feet financially after prison Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" The Erasing 76 Crimes news site covers the human toll of 66+ countries’ anti-gay laws and the struggle to repeal them Members of the African Human Rights Media Network publish news articles and other media that educate readers about sexual minorities’ struggle for recognition of their human rights Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive (Business in Cameroon) - Indian brand Sonalika’s tractor assembly unit we learned during a recent onsite visit by the Cameroonian Minister of Economy This government member even recommended that the tractors produced in this plant be quickly put to trial in experimental farms for eventual faults to be corrected before their launch on the local and sub-regional market This assembly unit is financed by the Cameroonian government who thus plans to promote more mechanisation in the local agriculture the year for which its delivery was initially scheduled about one hundred tractors assembled during the test phase were left in neglect due to the construction works for the shelters meant for them shutting down The company Immobiliare then accused the government of not being able to release the necessary funds for the works to continue A visit by the Minister of Economy on the ground led to FCfa 300 million being made available at first followed by other releases of funds which finally resulted in the ongoing completion of the works (Business in Cameroon) - Cameroon's Real Estate Company (SIC) says it will soon evict all illegal occupants of its social housing units in Ebolowa The information is the subject of a statement issued this week by Ahmadou Sardaouna (pictured) "The Director General of SIC invites all occupants without right or title to urgently contact the local branch of SIC in Ebolowa to constitute a compliance file during the next allocation commission to be held on December 8 in Ebolowa per the instructions of the Minister of Housing and Urban Development," the statement reads those whose files are not registered will be considered illegal occupants and eviction proceedings will be initiated against them SIC has launched in recent years a campaign to identify and register the tenants of its housing it was discovered that half of the occupants do not have a contract with the company. Some of the former tenants who have managed to own a house outside of the site sublet their former social housing to third parties These fraudulent maneuvers have made the company have successive deficit results in recent years: -CFA4.4 billion in 2016; -CFA3.6 billion in 2017; -CFA4.05 billion in 2018 (Business in Cameroon) - Nearly two years after Cameroonian authorities awarded the contract for the construction of the Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road (179.28 km with bypasses) to Italian company ICM-CMC by mutual agreement the state of the road has been the subject of protests organized by the population of the areas covered by the projected road. the population wondered why the road project was still stalling The company [ICM-CMC] was only required to control the traffic The road construction sign on the site was placed at the company’s initiative It does not list all the elements of the project nor does it mention the reference of the contract The construction contract has not been signed yet Only the commercial contract is signed already (...) ICM-CMC lied about its financing capabilities it got caught up with its lies and tried to raise funds from Standard Chartered Bank with a London-based guarantor whose conditions are well above the allowed proportions (...) Consequently other financing mechanisms are being explored.” Those explanations confirm information published by Business in Cameroon in February 2019 we indicated that the financial partners (Standard Chartered Bank and the UK Export Finance) offered the funds at a 3.96% annual percentage rate which was considered higher than the average interest rates obtained for such financings in Cameroon The Ministry of Finance asked the financial partners to reduce that interest to 2.76% max The contract was awarded in the first quarter of 2019 after the President of the Republic Paul Biya’s visit to Italy from March 20 to 22 Italian operators expressed their interest in various projects in Cameroon including the Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road whose construction will help avoid the long U-turns because although Ebolowa and Kribi are both in the South travelers have to go pass through the Centre (Yaoundé) and Littoral (Edea) just to reach those two towns. The project is the materialization of a promise made by the Head of State to residents of the South on January 17 the isolation of agriculture production zones needs to be addressed and important infrastructure projects implemented. Therefore I have decided to launch the construction of the following paved roads: Ebolowa-Kribi par Akom II…,” the president had said. Since then the Ministry of Public Works was scheduling the launch of the construction works for 2021. The overall cost of the project is estimated at XAF168 billion (XAF160 billion for the construction works and XAF2 billion for geotechnical investigations) the Ministry of Public Works listed XAF179.63 billion as the effective cost of the project. in the framework of the Three-Year Emergency Plan (Planut) implemented by the Cameroonian government since 2015 the regional capital of the south of the country is now operational Prime Minister Joseph Dion Nguté saw this himself during his visit in Ebolowa on January 30 With a storage capacity of 1,400 m3 representing 2,500 carcasses of 200 kg this infrastructure is the third whose work has been completed after that of Yaounde (6,000 m3) and Ngaoundéré (1,400 m3) Thanks to a loan from Caixa Bank and Deutsche Bank the Cameroonian government invested XAF10 billion for the infrastructures whose construction is aimed at boosting the country's cattle industry commonly known as “Hôtel du comice,” in the regional capital of the South This construction project was launched in preparation for the 2011 Ebolowa agropastoral Fair but encountered numerous financing difficulties which is thus inaugurated 9 years after the launch of construction works is a XAF15 billion investment built over more than 2,400 m2 of space The new infrastructure located at the entrance of Ebolowa comes on point to boost the town’s hosting offer since modern hotels capable of hosting tourists are not common there the Spanish foundation "Elecnor" donated a photovoltaic energy plant to the "Don Bosco Ebolowa" center whose installation had begun last December The handover ceremony took place in the presence of the Superior of the Vice Province "Equatorial Tropical Africa" (ATE) and of various political and religious authorities of Yaoundé supply 60 kW capable of supplying the entire Salesian center in Ebolowa "Elecnor" is a multinational company operating in the solar energy sector; founded in 1958 it is present in 52 countries on 5 continents a presidential decree authorized Minister of Economy to sign a little over €11.9 million (about CFAF7.9 billion) loan agreement with Standard Chartered Bank London The loan will fund the construction of the Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road It adds to the CFAF130.4 billion loan agreement whose signing (with the same bank) was approved by a presidential decree on August 4 there is no information on the terms of those loans but they bring the overall cost of the road construction project to CFAF138.23 billion According to the Ministry of Public Works (Mintp) the second loan will finance the elaboration and implementation of an environmental and social management plan (ESMP) the financing is subject to environmental compliance This requirement was formulated following a site visit by the lender's teams in July 2022 residents mentioned the presence of gorillas along the road prompting the bank to make that requirement According to the Mintp," per environmental requirements the project will begin with ESMP preparations unless there are any changes.” The two presidential decrees come after the private contract signed on March 23 Africa Director of the Italian company ICM Construction responsible for building the 179.2-km road the Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road will be completed in 36 months with tax-inclusive costs estimated at CFAF122.4 billion The construction cost is to be covered by the first loan with the remaining CFAF8 billion budgeted to cover compensation costs and the technical and geotechnical control mission (according to the Mintp). The construction of the Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road is a promise made by the Head of State during the Ebolowa Agropastoral Show in 2011 Long-awaited by residents of the Southern region, this road will connect Ebolowa to Sangmelima facilitating the transit of forest resources from Congo to the port of Kribi This is the volume of over-the-counter deals Cameroon’s minister of public procurement Ibrahim Talba Malla authorized Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi to sign for the construction of a 179.28 kilometre Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road. Ibrahim Talba Malla authorized Emmanuel Djoumessi to “proceed to direct consultation without even a public notice of at least three technical consulting cabinets with proven abilities.” Let’s remind that in a letter dated February 18 director of the civil cabinet at the presidency asked the minister of public works to sign an agreement with Italian group ICM-CMC Spa for the construction of Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road This project includes the construction of a 30-km power line and the installation of optical fiber over 179.28 kilometres Its financial partners are Standard Chartered Bank and British Ukef The implementation of this project is a promise made by President Paul Biya eight years earlier Cameroon’s Prime Minister Joseph Dion Nguté laid the foundation stone of BEAC’s office in Ebolowa which is the 7th to be built for the BEAC in Cameroon will be delivered in the coming 24 months (around 2022) The works (whose costs have not been disclosed) were entrusted to Chadian construction firm SNER whose selection as winner of the bid caused controversy in 2019 Cameroonian firm DNB International Sarl (via its promoter Amadou Hamadou) reached out to President Paul Biya to denounce favoritism in the contract awarding process which claimed to have submitted the best bid accused the governor of the BEAC of favoring a company created by his compatriot These accusations were rejected by the BEAC which officially replied that the awarding process was conducted following the rules (Business in Cameroon) - The construction of Ebolowa-Akom II–Kribi Highway will be launched in 2022 This was announced by Minister of Public Works Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi during his address before the parliament in the framework of the ongoing budget session “The projects that will kick off in 2022 notably include the construction of 381.5 kilometres of roads and 150 linear meters of artworks they are the Maroua-Bogo-Pouss pass(93 km) the Eastern Entrance to Douala (Phase II-38.9 km) phase I of the Olounou-Oveng-Gabon border road(70 km) and Olounou-Oveng Road that includes the construction of a 150 linear meter of the bridge over the Kom River,” Minister Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi said Even though the official stated no official launch date the announcement will likely appease residents of the Southern region the latter organized violent protests even blocking the circulation to express Those protests aimed to show their anger because almost two years after its selection to build the Ebolowa-Akom II–Kribi highway Italian firm ICM-CMC was yet to launch the works For the Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road construction project the Cameroonian government awarded a special contract XAF160 billion contract to ICM-CMC the Ministry of Public Works listed XAF179.63 billion as the effective cost of the project the construction works should have started in 2021 But ICM-CMC “lied about its financing capabilities other financing mechanisms are being explored.” By announcing the launch of construction works for 2022 Minister Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi seems to be indirectly indicating that the funds required have or are being raised. (Business in Cameroon) - In Ebolowa (capital of South Cameroon) 5,000 households will receive direct monetary transfers in the framework of “Filets Sociaux” Funded by the World Bank and the Cameroonian government the project is aimed at helping the poorest households support their basic needs and create revenue-generating activities According to the information disclosed during a workshop organized in Ebolowa on December 4 each of the selected households will receive XAF180,000 divided into three tranches This brings the overall amount of that support to about XAF1 billion Successfully tested between 2013 and 2016 in the communes of Soulédé-Roua (Far North) and Ndop (Northwest) the project is now being implemented all over the country It consists of three programs: a regular and unconditional cash transfer program (XAF360,000 transferred to every beneficiary within 24 months) an emergency cash transfer program (XAF180,000 within 12 months) and High labor-intensive (HIMO) public work programs (Business in Cameroon) - The General Secretary of the Cameroonian Ministry of Agriculture established within the Regional School of Agriculture (CRA) located in this city This workshop is the result of the partnership between this Cameroonian training school and the local Public Agricultural Education and Training School (EPLEFA) of Nanterre in addition to the students of this training centre the new practical workshop will be open to other students from Cameroon and beyond as well as groups of producers desirous to be trained in chocolate production techniques The chocolate thus produced at the CRA’s workshop in Ebolowa will be locally sold the management of the training centre have the ambition of turning it into a national brand susceptible of gaining external markets (Business in Cameroon) - After eight years of suspension work on the Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road project (179.28 km with bypass roads) will finally resume Minister Director of the Civil Cabinet (DCC) of the Presidency of the Republic referred the matter to the Minister of Public Works (Mintp) for “signing the contract for the Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road construction project” The contract will be signed with the Italian company ICM-CMC Spa which has already prepared all required fund searching documents according to authorization granted by President Paul Biya the project cost is likely to be revised downwards because the government asked ICM-CMC to eliminate related works (supply and installation of optical fiber over 179.28 km environmental protection measure and expropriation over a 30 m strip) estimated at XAF14.69 billion The financial partners (Standard Chartered Bank and the British export credit agency-Ukef) proposed an overall effective rate of 3.96% per year which was considered expensive compared to the financing previously obtained in Cameroon The Ministry of Finance has asked these partners to reduce the weighted overall effective rate The construction of the Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road by Italian partners is certainly one of the benefits of Paul Biya's state visit to Italy from 20 to 22 March 2017 The Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road is a firm commitment by the Head of State to the people of the Southern Region of the country during the Ebolowa Agropastoral Forum on January 17 “The development of the rural world requires the opening up of agricultural production zones and the implementation of major structural projects I have decided to build the following paved roads: Ebolowa-Kribi by Akom II (...),” the President said but since then no further step was made. Cameroon Launches Construction of New Gas Filling Center in Kumba Cameroon Launches New CFA15bn Bond Issue After Recent Success Cameroon Eases Port Procedures to Keep CFA350bn in Chadian Transit Trade Douala Doubles Water Storage in Key Districts with New Reservoir Cameroon’s Supreme Court Reaffirms Exclusive Authority Over Public Finance Management "11 of the World’s 20 Fastest-Growing Economies in 2025 Are in Sub-Saharan Africa" (Amadou Sy, IMF) Douala Airport Customs Seizes $2.3mln Worth of Cocaine Bound for India Douala Port Shares CFA2bn in Rebates with Shippers and Shipping Lines in 2024 New Sosucam CEO Faces Tough Start as Worker Tensions Linger Rubber Output in Cameroon Could Reach 59,100 Tons in 2025 (BEAC) Cameroon Could Hit Highest Cocoa Output in Over Five Years Cameroon and Chad to Inaugurate CFA74bn Cross-Border Bridge on April 28 Cameroon Ranks Last in Global Fiber Optic Development Index Cameroon’s Finance Ministry Denies Budget Fraud After Audit Flags Irregularities Mbam Bridge Project in Cameroon Reassigned to CFHEC, Budget Increased Alucam Faces Financial Crisis: Audit Calls for CFA43bn Recapitalization to Avoid Shutdown CSPH Begins Construction of Ebolowa Gas Filling Center, Expected to Open in 2027 Cameroon Turns to BEAC Market for CFA25bn as Interest Rates Surge Cameroon’s Natural Gas Output Expected to Jump 23% in 2025 After Slump (Business in Cameroon) - Initially scheduled for 13 September 2018 the deadline for submitting a bid to construct the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) center in Ebolowa (South region) has been postponed until October 12 Beac had short-listed five companies and groups of companies to tender for the preliminary studies The Cameroonian firm Yimgaing Moyo was also selected Let’s note that the implementation of this new center will bring to 7 the number of Cameroonian towns housing Beac hubs which houses the National Directorate and the headquarters the bank's board is also planning a center in Bertoua which houses almost all of the country's major mining deposits (Business in Cameroon) - The Minister of the Economy has given a new deadline for the inauguration of the Ebolowa tractor assembly plant in the South Region accompanied by the Minister Delegate in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development visiting the plant’s worksite last week to assess the state of advancement of the project It emerged from the visit that the project is already 87 per cent executed Work is still to complete at the tractor storage magazine Indian technicians are awaited to carry out the assembling chain of the tractors He said it will be inaugurated in two months 25-07-2011 - The hallmarks of modern agriculture the Central African States Bank (BEAC) published the names of the five shortlisted companies and corporate associations to bid to conduct preliminary studies on the construction of the building that will house the BEAC’s branch in Ebolowa Among the finalists is the Cameroonian firm but the Cameroon architect and urban planner who founded the company will have to face-off against the SAAI firm and three associations: SATA-BATE (Burkina Faso-Niger) the BEAC will have representation in seven Cameroonian cities and towns: Yoaundé (which has its headquarters and national head office and branches in Douala Minister of Economy Alamine Ousmane Mey has been authorized to sign a loan agreement for the construction of the Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road connecting Cameroon and Congo. The loan agreement will be signed with the Standard Chartered Bank London despite ignoring for the time being the terms and conditions of this loan this decree means that the parties have done all due diligence prior to the signature of the financing arrangement the funds will be made available to the builder depending on the progress of the work on the road which opens the Congo to the port of Kribi Africa director of the Italian company ICM Construction who is in charge of building the 179.2 km road Also Read: Partnership agreements inked for the construction Douala water distribution network in Cameroon The contract stipulates that the Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road would be built over the course of 36 months The project will amount to 122.4 billion FCFA (including tax) The Italian constructor was required by the Standard Chartered Bank to abide by environmental regulations before agreeing to the financing terms required to begin the project Deviating from the ICM schedule that predicted construction would start in the second half of 2022 The country’s head of state assured the citizens of the southern region That the Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road would be constructed during the 2011 Ebolowa agropastoral forum Following Paul Biya’s state visit to Italy from March 20–22 The eagerly awaited Ebolowa-Akom II-Ebolowa road will complete the Kribi-Congo Border route The 74-kilometer Sangmelima-Mengong road is already under development thanks to Cameroon’s funding for that corridor The route connecting Ebolowa to Sangmelima will make it easier to carry forestry resources from Congo to port of Kribi Welcome to Construction Review a portal that serves the building and construction industry through our blog social media presence and print publication Contact us Guest Posting Take down policy