China Eximbank provides RMB 1.513 billion government concessional loan for Phase 2 of the National Fiber-Optic Network Backbone Project (Linked to Project ID#134)

On November 4, 2011, China Eximbank and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo signed an RMB 1,513,000,000 government concessional loan (GCL) agreement [China Eximbank GCL n° 43 (2011) Total n° (393)] for Phase 2 of the National Fiber-Optic Network Backbone Project. The GCL carried the following terms: 20 year maturity, 5 year grace period, 1% interest rate, and 0.75% commitment fee. The proceeds from the GCL were used to support a contract between l’Office Congolais des Postes et Télécommunications (O.C.P.T.) and China International Telecommunication Construction Corporation (CITCC). According to Government of the DRC's Aid Management Platform (AMP), the USD commitment value of the loan was $243,015,590.68 and final disbursements through the loan amounted to $192,300,318.22. The purpose of the second phase of this project was to lay 3250 km of fiber optic cable along three sections: Kinshasa-Bandundu, Kinshasa-Mbuji, and Mayi-Lubumbashi-Sakania. China International Telecommunication Construction Corporation (CITCC) was the contractor responsible for implementation. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on March 30, 2013 and the project was completed in February 2016. China Eximbank also provided an RMB 245 million loan for Phase 1 of this project (captured via Project ID#134).

Additional details

1. The Chinese project title is 刚果（金）光缆骨干网二期 or 国家光缆骨干网二期项目. The French project title is Réalisation du Réseau national Backbone à fibre optique (phase II) or Travaux de pose de la fibre optique 2eme phase. 2. In the database of Chinese loan commitments that SAIS-CARI released in July 2020, it does not record the borrowing terms of this loan. AidData records the borrowing terms that are reported in the 2013 Public Debt Audit published by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (20 year maturity, 5 year grace period, 1% interest rate, and 0.75% commitment fee).

Number of official sources

14

Number of total sources

19