Chinese Government provides grant — via ETCA — for São Vicente Marine Special Economic Zone Planning Project

On December 14, 2013, China Road & Bridge Corporation (CRBC) met with Cape Verde's President and Prime Minister to discuss the possibility of building a deep water port at Mindelo on Porto Grande Bay as well as a cruise ship terminal, and the possibility of refurbishing Cabnave shipyard on São Vicente island. On July 6, 2017, the Chinese Government and the Government of Cape Verde signed an Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), which committed grant funding for the São Vicente Marine Special Economic Zone Planning Project. Then, on January 10 and 11, 2018, Chinese and Cape Verdean officials signed letters of exchange for this project. China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) was the source of funding, but the size of its financial commitment is unknown. The purpose of this project was to support planning activities related to the São Vicente Island Marine Special Economic Zone (EEZ or 佛得角圣文森特岛海洋经济特区 or Zona Económica Especial Marinha de São Vicente or ZEEMSV) in Cape Verde. The EEZ includes constructing a container terminal, refurbishing a Cape Verde Naval Shipyards (Cabnave) state-owned shipyard, and building a logistic center for fish exports in Saragarça, on São Vicente Island. The project is the result of a strategic partnership between the two countries encouraging private investments and public-private partnerships in maritime activities. AidData did not find evidence of any implementing contractors yet. The purpose of this project is to make Sao Vicente a "maritime logistics platform in the central Atlantic Ocean region for the transhipment of cargo and containers, processing, marketing and distribution of maritime products and an internationally renowned tourist destination”. At the time of the ETCA signing in July 2017, the EEZ was predicted to be operational in just over three years (in 2020). On April 27, 2018, a group of 17 Chinese experts arrived in Cabo Verde for an inspection and planning project. In a subsequent press conference, the Minister of Marine Economy of Cabo Verde said planning was expected to end by September and actual works would begin after that. On May 8, 2018, Chinese and Cabo Verdean officials signed an inspection conference summary marking the end of planning. A Chinese Embassy official shared that a team of Cape Verdean experts travelled to China in June 2018 for training in how to carry out feasibility studies for ZEEMSV. The São Vicente Marine Special Economic Zone Planning Project was ultimately completed on or around August 31, 2018. Then, on May 9, 2019 at a planning promotion meeting ZEEMSV was held in Beijing, officials announced that after 2 ½ years of consultations and technical evaluations, the project was ready to progress to the next step of development. In January 2020, Paulo Alexandre Lopes da Silva, deputy coordinator of the Marine Special Economic Zone in São Vicente, presented a detailed implementation plan. In June 2020, the President of Cabo Verde enacted a law, officially establishing ZEEMSV in which works are carried out in three phases: the first from 2020 to 2025, the second from 2026 to 2030, and the last from 2031-2035.

Additional details

The Portuguese project title is Planejamento do projeto da Zona Especial de Economia Marítima na Ilha de São Vicente or Projecto da Zona Económica Especial da Economia Marítima, em São Vicente or Projeto da Zona Económica Especial de Económia Marítima (ZEEEM) de São Vicente. The Chinese project title is 佛得角圣文森特岛海洋经济特区 or 的圣文森特岛海洋经济特区规划 or 佛圣文森特岛海洋经济特区规划项目. One source suggests that the Chinese Government committed $17 million for this project (see pg. 27 from 2017 African Development Bank document). However, this issue merits further investigation.

Number of official sources

10

Number of total sources

22