Project ID: 2074

Chinese Government provides RMB 72 million grant for Y-12E Aircraft Procurement Project (Linked to Project ID #73577 and ID #71404)

Commitment amount

$ 13697976.671167655

Adjusted commitment amount

$ 13697976.67

Constant 2021 USD

Summary

Funding agency [Type]

China Ministry of Commerce [Government Agency]

Recipient

Seychelles

Sector

Transport and storage (Code: 210)

Flow type

Grant

Infrastructure

No

Category

Intent

Development (The next section lists the possible statuses.)

Commercial

Development

Representational

Mixed

Financial Flow Classification

ODA-like (The next section lists the possible statuses.)

Official Development Assistance

Other Official Flows

Vague (Official Finance)

Flows categorized based on OECD-DAC guidelines

Project lifecycle

Status

Completion (The next section lists the possible statuses.)

Pledge

Commitment

Implementation

Completion

Suspended

Cancelled

Milestones

Commitment

2011-01-01

Actual complete

2011-06-17

Description

In 2008, China Eximbank issued a government concessional loan (GCL) worth RMB 72 million ($11 million) to the Government of Seychelles for the Y-12E Aircraft Procurement Project. The proceeds of this loan were to be used by the borrower to purchase two Y-12E aircraft from China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC). To become familiar with the Y-12E, a group of Seychellois engineers and pilots were also scheduled to participate in a 45-day training course in Harbin, where the aircraft are produced. These aircraft are configured for passenger and cargo transport, as well as emergency rescue, aerial photography, insecticide spreading and maritime surveillance. However, according to the Ministry of Finance and Trade of Seychelles, no disbursements were ever made through the GCL. Then, on March 24, 2011 the Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles announced that the Chinese Government had donated two Y-12E aircraft. The aircrafts, along with spares and other equipment, were officially handed over to Seychelles on June 2011. At the June 17, 2011 project handover ceremony, Seychelles’ Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Paul Adam announced that “We had first opened discussions on the provision of aircrafts from China in 2006 on the basis of a concessional loan. However, as Seychelles has been hit subsequently by the financial crisis and the increased pressures of piracy on the economy, the Government of China recognized how critical such capability is for our development at this time and turned the proposed loan into a grant. … This generous gesture will always be remembered and appreciated. I would like to convey once again our immense gratitude to the people and Government of China for this critical support at this time.” One of the Y-12E aircraft was earmarked for use surveillance activities better protect the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) from foreign threats, including piracy, illegal fishing activities, and drug smuggling. The other aircraft was earmarked for improving communications and access between Mahé Island and the outer Islands.

Additional details

This project is also known as the Y-12E Utility Aircraft Purchase (2 Units) Project. In the database of Chinese loan commitments that SAIS-CARI released in July 2020, it identifies a $11 million China Eximbank loan commitment in 2008 for this project. However, given that the GCL never disbursed (and it was effectively suspended) and the Chinese Government ultimately agreed to fund this project with a grant, AidData has captured this project with two separate records: a record that captures the (de facto) suspension of the RMB 72 million GCL from China Eximbank (see Project ID#73577) and a record that captures the RMB 72 million grant commitment (see Project ID#2074)

Number of official sources

9

Number of total sources

20

Download the dataset

Details

Cofinanced

No

Direct receiving agencies [Type]

Government of Seychelles [Government Agency]

Implementing agencies [Type]

China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC) [State-owned Company]

Government of Seychelles [Government Agency]