China Eximbank provides $39.424 million buyer’s credit loan for Huambo, Huila, and Benguela Hospital and Health Center Construction and Equipping Project (linked to #42029)

On 28 November, 2003, China and Angola signed a framework agreement pertaining to a special economic cooperation arrangement (Agreement name in Chinese: 中华人民共和国商务部与安哥拉共和国财政部关于两国经贸合作特殊安排的框架协议). Following the signing of the framework agreement, on 2 March, 2004, China Eximbank and the Government of Angola signed a $2 billion Master Loan Facility Agreement (MLFA). All of the subsidiary buyer’s credit loans approved through this MLFA carried the following terms: an interest rate of 3-month LIBOR (1.112% at the time that the MLFA was signed) plus a 1.5% margin- totaling 2.612%, a 22 year maturity period, and 5 year grace period (see linked Project ID#42029). According to the World Bank, this MLFA has a management commission fee of 0.3%, an installation commission fee of 1%; and an immobilization fee of 0.3% (See: Angola Public Expenditure Review (In Two Volumes) Volume II: Sectoral Review, p. 19).Sonangol provided a source of collateral for loans under the MLFA, and repayments were made with the proceeds of oil sales from Sonangol to UNIPEC (China international United Petroleum & Chemicals Co. Ltd, Sinopec group), which were deposited in an Angolan Ministry of Finance (MINFIN) account at China Eximbank (See: China’s Oil Diplomacy: Comparing Chinese Economic Statecraft in Angola and Brazil, p. 148). The volume of oil to be sold to UNIPEC each month for repayment of the loan varied according to market oil prices. Under the agreement, 70% of works have to be contracted with Chinese companies and the same proportion of construction material, equipment and labour has to be contracted in China (See: China’s Oil Diplomacy: Comparing Chinese Economic Statecraft in Angola and Brazil, p. 149).Then, in May 2005, China Eximbank and the Government of Angola signed a $39,424,950.00 subsidiary buyer’s credit loan agreement for the Huambo, Huila, and Benguela Hospital and Health Center Construction and Equipping Project (See: UNCOVERING AGENCY: ANGOLA’S MANAGEMENT OF RELATIONS WITH CHINA, p. 283 and LINHA DE CRÉDITO COM O EXIMBANK DA CHINA RELATÓRIO DAS ACTIVIDADES DESENVOLVIDAS II TRIMESTRE DE 2008, p. 4). The proceeds of this loan were used to partially finance a $43,805,500.00 commercial contract between Sinohydro and Angola's Ministry of Health, which was signed on 9 May, 2005 (See: UNCOVERING AGENCY: ANGOLA’S MANAGEMENT OF RELATIONS WITH CHINA, p. 283 and LINHA DE CRÉDITO COM O EXIMBANK DA CHINA RELATER DAS ACTIVIDADES DESENVOLVIDAS II TRIMESTRE DE 2008, p. 4). The purpose of this project, which employed 89 Angolan workers and 73 Chinese workers, was to construct and equip three municipal hospitals in Huambo, Huila, and Benguela provinces, two health centers in Benguela province, and two health centers in Huila province.The contract supporting the project was scheduled to go into effect on 17 January, 2007. The estimated handover date for the hospitals was 15 October, 2008; and the estimated handover date for the health centers was 5 September, 2008. The construction of one of the the health centers — in the Graca area within the city of Benguela— commenced on 15 August, 2007 and ended on 15 June, 2009; however, the precise implementation start and end dates for the other project components are unknown (See: Benguela Health Center [本格拉健康中心]). SAIS-CARI identifies this project as complete.

Additional details

The project is referred to as 安哥拉3所市医院4所健康中心项目 in Chinese by Sinohydro.The 2003 framework agreement (中华人民共和国商务部与安哥拉共和国财政部关于两国经贸合作特殊安排的框架协议) specified that Sinosure will be signing relevant agreements with the Government of Angola, although the nature of the agreements is unclear. AidData has coded Sinosure as an accountable agency and providing insurance to the loan facility.AidData considers this loan to be collateralized in a de facto sense. The cash deposited by the Angolan Ministry of Finance into a bank account controlled by China Eximbank is, for all intents and purposes, a source of collateral. This is true even if the lender does not have a formal security interest in the account.

Number of official sources

5

Number of unofficial sources

2