Narrative
Full Description
Project narrative
On December 3, 2015, China Eximbank and the Government Senegal signed a $400,114,521 preferential buyer's credit (PBC) agreement for the 55 km Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD)-Thiès-Mbour Project. The borrowing terms of the loan are unknown. However, it is known that the borrower was authorized the use the proceeds of the loan to finance approximately 85% of the cost of a $470 million commercial contract with China International Water and Electric Cooperation (CWE). The project involved the construction of: (i) an 18 km AIBD-Sindia highway section, (ii) a 16 km AIBD-Thiès highway section, and (iii) a 21 km Sindia-Mbour highway section. The construction of the 55km AIBD-Thiès-Mbour highway was an extension of Dakar-Diamaniadio-AIDB highway to support the opening of Blaise Diagne International Airport in Diass. China International Water and Electric Cooperation (CWE) was the contractor responsible for project implementation. Construction began in June 2016 and the expected duration of the project was 54 months. However, construction ended ahead of schedule on February 27, 2019. A ceremonial opening of the highway was organized on January 22, 2019.
Staff comments
1. This project is also known as the Aibd-Mbour-Thies (AMT) Expressway Project and the AMT Highway Project. The French project title is l’axe autoroutier Aéroport Blaise-Diagne-Mbour-Thiès or Construction de l'autoroute AIBD-Mbour et AIBD -Thiès. The Chinese project title is 布莱斯迪亚涅国际机场-姆布尔-捷斯高速公路项目 or 着布莱斯迪亚涅国际机场-姆布尔-捷斯项目 or AMT项目 or 建的新机场-姆布尔-捷斯高速公路. 2. In the database of Chinese loan commitments that SAIS-CARI released in July 2020, it records the face value of this China Eximbank loan as $331 million. However, AidData records the face value ($400,114,521) that is recorded by the borrower (the Government of Senegal) itself.