Chinese Government provides RMB 20 million interest-free loan for Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Headquarters Construction Project (Linked to Record ID#20881, #1144, #20089, #21229)

Project narrative

On June 8, 2001, China’s Ministry of Commerce and the Government of Mauritius signed an RMB 20,000,000 loan agreement for the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Headquarters Construction Project. This loan carried the following terms: 20 year maturity, 10 year grace period, and 0% interest rate. Its face value was subsequently revised to 19,017,800. #20881 captures the first loan agreement. Three years later, in July 2004, China’s Ministry of Commerce and the Government of Mauritius signed a second loan agreement worth RMB 20,000,000 for the same project. This loan carried the following terms: 20 year maturity, 10 year grace period, and 0% interest rate. It is repayable via annual installments between August 2014 and August 2024. #20104 captures the second loan agreement. Then, in January 2005, China’s Ministry of Commerce and the Government of Mauritius signed a third loan agreement worth RMB 40,000,000 for the same project. This loan carried the following terms: 20 year maturity, 10 year grace period, and 0% interest rate. It is repayable via annual installments between February 2015 and February 2025. #1144 captures the third loan agreement. Then, on January 19, 2006, China’s Ministry of Commerce and the Government of Mauritius signed a fourth loan agreement worth RMB 20 million for the same project and for the acquisition of radio and TV broadcast equipment. This loan carried the following terms: 20 year maturity, 10 year grace period, and 0% interest rate. #20089 captures the fourth loan agreement. Then, in August 2006, China’s Ministry of Commerce and the Government of Mauritius signed a fifth loan agreement worth RMB 100,000,000 for the same project. This loan carried the following terms: 20 year maturity, 10 year grace period, and 0% interest rate. #21229 captures the fifth loan agreement. This project involved the construction of a new headquarters building for the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) in Ebène, which is a suburb approximately 15 kilometers south of the country’s capital, Port Louis. Beijing Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (BCEG) was the contractor responsible for implementation. It signed a construction contract on January 18, 2008. Then, on March 19, 2008, a formal groundbreaking ceremony was held. However, the project did not actually start until August 20, 2008. It was ultimately completed in June 2010.