Following a roadwork visit in Adamaoua, one of Cameroon’s three Northern regions along with the North and Far North, the Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi (photo), reported the underperformance of many companies.

In addition to bill payment issues and weather variations cited by construction operators as reasons for poor service quality, the minister mentioned that in the North and Adamaoua regions, there are no laterite deposits, making materials supply difficult.

“That’s why we rather use stabilizers and innovative materials which, when in contact with the ground, contribute to the road’s stabilization,” the minister said in an interview with Cameroun Tribune.

Above all, Djoumessi stressed that the poor performance observed is related to the companies’ current large portfolio. Indeed, he explains, many companies commit to several projects and finally fail to deliver efficient results.

BRM

The situation between the Moroccan group Alliances Construction and the Cameroonian ministry of housings is a bit tense because of the 800 social housings project.  

Indeed, on July 4, 2018, Jean Claude Mbwentchou, the minister of housings visited the Eastern regions (where 100 of the above-mentioned 800 housings are to be built) to inquire on the work’s progress. The minister then required Alliances constructions to submit an actualized and realistic planning of the works. He also invited the company to pay workers on time to avoid strike movements. The official finally asked the company to deliver the works in September 2018 at the latest. Let’s note that for the time being, the completion rate is 45%.

The following day July 5, M. Mbwentchou went to Ngaoundéré, in the North. In that town, the completion rate for the 100 housings is 60%. The minister informed that in that town, the works should be imperatively delivered in November 2018. The company Alliances Construction was also asked to keep the sub-contractors on this project and avoid strike movements.

Let’s remind that the project for the construction of 800 social housings (CFA40 billion supported by Banque Atlantique group) was entrusted to the Moroccan bank Alliances Construction in 2014.

In March 2018, the minister of housings criticized “Alliances Construction Cameroon S.A’s noncompliance of the requirement to clear its sub-contractors who later turn out to be unable to do the works required from them because of their low technical and financial capabilities”. “This is the main reason for the delays observed and the difficulties to meet the deadlines”, he added.

Nevertheless, the government wishes the 800 housings to be delivered this year. It is a component of the three-year urgency plan initiated by authorities a little more than two years ago. Indeed, the housing component of this urgency plan focuses on the construction of social housings in 8 regional chief towns (100 per chief town except for Yaoundé and Douala).

S.A

Tollgate fees could increase by 400% once the first 14 automatic toll gates are built, commissioned and put in operation in Cameroon. Indeed, according to a source close to the project, based on the proposals of the companies shortlisted for the construction, the price of the toll gate ticket would increase from CFA500 to CFA2,500.

“Anyway, with the automatization, toll gate fees will increase even if it is not to the extent of your estimations”, an authorized source said.

This potential increase could be the main concern of public authorities who fear the impact of this charge imposed on transporters on transport costs in the country.

For instance, with such price, a transporter going from Yaoundé to Douala could hardly charge the usual price which is between CFA2,500 to CFA3,000 since they would have to pay CFA5,000 as toll gate fee (CFA2,500 at each of the gates at Boumyebel and Edéa, two of the most profitable toll gates which will be automised)

It is worth noting that the project to build automatic toll gates in Cameroon was written in 2009. According to the government, the aim of this project is to make the 14 toll gates which produce 75% of the toll gates’ revenues in Cameroon more profitable.

Three consortiums have been shortlisted for the construction of these automatic toll gates and they have already submitted their proposals in May 2018. These are namely Razel-Bec-Egis Projects, Vinci Highway-Sogea Satom-Vinci Concessions, and Group Five-Intertoll Africa Limited.

Group Five-Intertoll Africa Limited has already signed a partnership with Mtn Cameroon to modernize toll gate payments via Mobile Money.

Brice R. Mbodiam

The Cameroonian ministry of public works informs that it is facing challenges in the implementation of the Yaoundé-Bafoussam-Babadiou road renovation projects.

Indeed, the project is divided into three lots. The first lot is the 63.5 kilometers Yaoundé-Ebebda-Kalong including the construction of a traffic intersection at carrefour-Obala. The second lot includes the renovation of the 67 kilometers Kalong-Tonga (67 km) and the third lot is for the Tonga-Bafoussam-Babadjou section (110.242 kilometers). 

The ministry explains that China Railway Engineering Group CO.LTD, which was awarded the contract for the third lot “is worryingly late at less than one year of the AFCON2019”.

Due to this, the ministry chose another company for the works. In that wake, the maintenance works or the urban structure of Bafoussam-Foumbot-Foumban will be handled by ESCB Sarl which is already getting ready for the works.

Let’s note that the Yaoundé-Bafoussam-Babadjou project is part of a large programme which will extend to Bamenda, the regional capital of the Northwest. According to the government, the works should cost about CFA145 billion.

S.A

MTN Cameroon and Intertoll Africa Limited, subsidiary of the South African group, Group Five, announce their partnership to modernize toll gates in Cameroon.

Themba Mosai (photo), CEO of Group Five limited, explains that this partnership between the two companies will be the first of that type which is aimed at decreasing travel times and safeguarding toll gate fee collection by dematerializing the payments, which can now be done via mobile phones. The CEO adds that thanks to that project, Cameroon will be at the forefront of technological innovation in the world, and in Africa in particular, as far as mobility is concerned.

Let’s note that since 2009, Cameroon has decided to build 14 automatic tollgates and the consortium formed by Group Five Limited (specialized in the construction of infrastructures) and its subsidiary Intertoll Africa Limited were invited, along with two other consortiums, in May 2018 to submit their final offers.

The two other consortiums are Razel-Bec-Société Egis Projects and Vinci Highway-Sogea Satom- Vinci Concessions.

It is also worth reminding that the consortium Razel-Bec-Société Egis Projects had the highest points (94.7/100) following the restricted call to tender launched on August 25, 2017. Vinci Highway-Sogea Satom- Vinci Concessions came second with 86.5/100 while Group Five- Intertoll Africa Limited was third with 80.5 out of 100 possible marks.

Though the government has not yet made an official statement on the issue, a source close to the case thinks that the current Mtn Cameroon-Intertoll Africa limited partnership is a sign that the infrastructure giant has won at least one lot of the project to build 14 automatic tolls on some Cameroonian roads.

Sylvain Andzongo

Philemon Yang, Cameroon’s prime minister is scheduled to visit the infrastructures being constructed in the framework of AFCON2019. Prior to this visit, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) carried out its second inspection visit on the different sites. After its visit, the local organizing committee (Comité local d’organisation-Cocan) published a document detailing the confederation’s recommendations to some of the construction companies.

In the document, CAF reveals that the Portuguese company Mota Engil is 1 month behind the schedule at the sites it is commisioned to build in Garoua. The Confederation then instructed Mota Engil to elaborate and send in a new planning for the works at Roumde Adjia Omnisports stadium. The construction company was also asked to bring in more workers for the construction.

The company should also lay sod at the end of the preliminary terracings. It should also accelerate the reception of the prefabricated materials ordered in Portugal and strive to deliver the works by the deadline which is December 2018.  

The Turkish company Yeningum is also late on the construction of Japoma omnisports stadium in Douala. Yeningum’s managers were asked to send a delegation to Turkey to monitor the construction of the prefabricated elements which are being manufactured there. In addition, CAF asked Cameroonian authorities to put pressure on the company to force the delivery by the deadline (December 2018).

In Yaoundé, the Italian Piccini is also late in the construction of Olembe sports complex. Because of that, CAF asked it to conscientiously comply with the sixth amended planning and take every appropriate measure to avoid being late on the works or deliveries if it wants to do so by December 31, 2018. Piccini should also hire more workers, work 24 hours a day and advance the implementation of some tasks since it is critically late on some.

Let’s note that a third visit is scheduled for the coming weeks to check if the recommendations prescribed in March 2018 have been applied.

S.A

A 500,000 tons cement company will be built in Kribi (where the largest port on the West African coast is located) by Engineering construction manufacturing and trading SARL, a Cameroonian company.  

To facilitate the implementation of this project, Cameroon (through the investments promotion center Agence de promotion des investissements [API]) signed, on June 28, 2018, an agreement granting the advantages of the 2013 law, on private investments incentives in Cameroon, to the project promoter.

Revised in July 2017, this law grants from 5 to 10 years of tax and customs exemption to companies willing to invest in Cameroon or expand their already existing activities in the country.  

For its future cement company, Engineering construction manufacturing and trading SARL plans to invest CFA15.5 billion. This unit will then be the fifth operating in Cameroon after CIMENCAM (Lafarge-Holcim), CIMAF of the Moroccan Addoha, Dangote Cement and the Turkish Medcem.

Brice R. Mbodiam

On July 3, 2018, an association of 32 companies which supply goods and services for the construction of AFCON2019 infrastructures in Garoua, North Cameroon, sent a memorandum to Jean Abaté Edi’i, governor of this region.

In the document, they invited the official to urgently step in for the payment of their invoices to Prime Potomac, the company in charge of the construction of the Poumpoumré,  Rey-re, Cenajes, complexe Sodecoton and Hôtel du stade stadiums.

According to the plaintiffs, their unpaid invoices toward Prime Potomac, which signed a CFA26 billion private agreement with Cameroon, amounts to CFA3 billion.

“We have been working with them since works started at the various construction sites. We did owe some of the suppliers and the debt sometimes amounted to about CFA2 billion. However, we have paid them without a hitch. You can’t suddenly decide to stop supplying a business partner which regularly requires your services and pays your invoices”, Prime Potomac’s CEO said to the tri-weekly L’Œil du Sahel before adding that “some people lurking in the shadows are working to make it impossible for Cameroon to host the AFCON2019”.  

 Let’s remind that before this press statement, some of the technicians recruited on these construction sites were about to go on strike to require the payment of about three to six months salary Prime Potomac owed them.

“What is happening today may be extraordinary but, we predicted it. Indeed, we were amazed to notice that in the last three or four days, some people have been going around town offering CFA10,000 to each worker for their involvement in a strike being prepared”, the CEO explained to defend himself.  

Let’s remind that at the time, when the construction of some of AFCON2019 infrastructures was entrusted to those companies, some people reminded that some years ago, the promoter was unable to successfully complete the construction of a stadium the national football federation FECAFOOT entrusted to the company.

BRM

Patrice Melom (photo), managing director of Kribi deepwater port just launched an urgent restricted international call for proposals for technical assistance in the framework of the second phase of the port’s construction.

Two French consortiums and a Canadian group have already been shortlisted: Egis Port/Egis Cameroon/TME/Catram (French), Louis Berger/BEC La Routière (French) and Norda Stelo (Canadian). The deadline for their proposal is July 31, 2018, and the group or consortium chosen will win a CFA2.5 billion contract to monitor the construction and assist in the infrastructures’ commissioning.

Let’s remind that during this second phase of the Kribi port’s construction, a second container terminal, (with a 700-meter long dock while the first one was 350 meters long) an iron ore and an oil terminal will be built. For these works, an expert panel will be constituted for ex-post, ex-ante and interim evaluation of the quality of the works and suggest the improvements to be made.  

S.A

Abba Sadou prescribes a bi-weekly assessment of the AFCON 2019 infrastructures in Garoua. This recommendation follows a field visit by the minister of public procurement.

The official reveals that this is to pressure the different companies in charge of those constructions since most of them are late.

As for the companies, they claim that their delay is partly due to the shortage of the workforce, logistics difficulties and the delays in funds’ disbursement (because of the cash flow difficulties experienced by the government).

BRM