China Eximbank provides RMB 530 million government concessional loan for Phase 3 of the E-Government Project (Linked to Record ID#58382 and #58409)

Project narrative

On September 10, 2007, China Eximbank and the Government of Senegal signed an RMB 390 million government concessional loan (GCL) agreement for Phase 1 of the E-Government Project. The borrowing terms of the loan are unknown. Phase 1 established data, voice, and video conference systems for government agencies, universities, hospitals, and other state-owned enterprises and institutions by laying 500 km of fiber optic cable — in Dakar, Thiès, Louga, Saint Louis, Diourbel, Kaolack and Fatick — and created data centers to support the e-government network (also known as the government intranet). It also involved the creation of a fixed, IP and mobile telephony network covering 11 regional capitals, including Dakar, Thiès, Louga, Saint Louis, Diourbel, Kaolack, Fatick, Matam, Tambacounda. Huawei (中国华为公司) and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (中国机械设备进出口公司) were responsible for implementation. Construction began on December 12, 2007, and Phase 1 was officially completed and handed over to the authorities on July 10, 2009. Then, in January 2012, China Eximbank and the Government of Senegal signed a $50 million loan agreement for Phase 2 of the E-Government Project. This loan reportedly carried the following terms: a 20-year maturity and 2.75% interest rate. Phase 2, which began in December 2012 and ended in late 2014, involved an expansion of the country’s national fiber optic backbone and administrative intranet. More specifically, it involved the laying of 1,000 additional kilometers of fiber optic cable in Mbour, Bignona, Sédhiou, Tambacounda, Koungueul, Kaffrine, Kaolack, Fatick, Tamba, Kolda, Vélingara, Ziguinchor, Saint-Louis, Louga, Diourbel, and Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD). Huawei was responsible for the implementation of Phase 2. Then, on November 24, 2015, China Eximbank and the Government of Senegal signed an RMB 530 million government concessional loan (GCL) agreement for Phase 3 of the E-Government Project. The borrowing terms of the loan are unknown, As of February 19, 2019, total disbursements through the loan amounted to 33,377,043,667 FCFA. Phase 3 involved the laying of 2,565 additional kilometers of fiber optic cable and the construction of a 4x400 m2 data center in Diamniadio. It sought to link 300 administrative buildings, 21 departmental capitals, and 2 regions (Kédougou and Matam). Huawei was the contractor responsible for the implementation of Phase 3. Construction began in January 2016 and the project achieved a 70% completion rate by the end of the same year. Phase 3 was eventually completed, but the precise completion date is unknown. The China Eximbank loan that supported Phase 1 is captured via Record ID#58382, while the China Eximbank loan that supported Phase 2 is captured via Record ID#58409 and the China Eximbank loan that supported Phase 3 is captured via Record ID#53282.