DRC: Advocacy for Accelerated Work at Banana Deep Water Port

Modero Nsimba, the elected national deputy of Kongo Central, advocates for the acceleration of the construction of the deep-water port of Banana before the construction of the bridge connecting Kinshasa and Brazzaville. He estimates that this port will bring more revenue to the public treasury. This subject was the subject of a motion of information that he initiated to the plenary of Monday, May 20, 2019.

As the former leader of this project, Nsimba claims to have control of the workings of this old project that dates back to the colonial era when feasibility studies were conducted in 1929. Studies that allowed to have a platform of 70 meters. And since then, nothing has been done.

It was not until 2012 that this project was revived and the government produced the terms of reference for the construction of this port. It was validated by the Council of Ministers at the time, on the proposal of the Minister of Transport, Justin Kalumba.

Then, a call for tenders was even launched to recruit international partners. To the surprise of all, this project has been suspended.

In 2015, with a team that included MP Modero Nsimba, Pius Mwabilu and others, another prefeasibility study was initiated.

In May 2018 when José Malika was acting prime minister, the DRC benefited from the signing of an operating concession agreement with DP World. After this signature, the country had to set up a joint venture to manage this project.

A year later, nothing is done yet. Hence, the SOS launched by MP Modero Nsimba to pressure the new government to appoint leaders and also accelerate the implementation of this project whose contract with DP World expires in a year.

He pleads that the construction of the deep-water port is done before the completion of the bridge between Kinshasa and Brazzaville.

Nadine FULA