Narrative
Full Description
Project narrative
On May 15, 2019, Bank of China and the Government of Cameroon's Ministry of Defense (MINDEF) signed a $41,612,944.52 commercial loan agreement for Phase 2 of the Intelligent Urban Video Surveillance System Expansion Project. According to the Government of Cameroon's Caisse Autonome d'Amortissements (CAA), the loan carries the following borrowing terms: a 2 year grace period, a 11 year maturity, and an interest rate of 6.3%. The proceeds of the loan are to be used by the borrower to finance a commercial contract between the Government of Cameroon’s Délégation Générale à la Sûreté Nationale (DGSN or General Delegation for National Security) and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., which was signed in February 2017. As of December 31, 2020, the loan had achieved a 76.1% disbursement rate (with an undisbursed balance of CFA 5.3 billion) and its outstanding amount was equivalent to CFA 17 billion. The project involves the installation of 1,500 video-surveillance cameras in various cities and towns and the acquisition of 2,000 portable two-way radios. During phase 1 of the project, video-surveillance cameras will be installed in the capital cities of the country’s ten regions (Ngaoundere, Yaoundé, Bertoua, Maroua, Douala, Garoua, Bamenda, Bafoussam, Ebolowa, and Buea) as well as the towns of Kribi, Kyé-Ossi. Garoua-Boulaï, Waza, Fotokol, Kousseri and Amchidé. However, the technical and geographical scope of Phase 2 is unknown. Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. is the contractor responsible for implementation. However, as of February 2022, AidData had not identified any evidence of project implementation.
Staff comments
1. This project is also known as Phase 2 of the Cameroon Intelligent City Project. The French project title is Projet d extension au plan national du système intelligent de vidéo surveillance urbaine or Projet de Video Surveillance phase 2. 2. One official source https://www.dropbox.com/s/pp0az9sq3pfykny/NOUVEAUX%20ENGAGEMENTS%20AU%2031%20MAI%202019.pdf?dl=0) suggests that the May 15, 2019 Bank of China loan agreement was for Phase 1 rather than Phase 2 of the Intelligent Urban Video Surveillance System Expansion Project. This issue warrants further investigation. 3. The Government of Cameroon’s identification number for this loan is 2019105. The loan identification number in the Government of Cameroon’s Commonwealth Secretariat Debt Recording and Management System (CS-DRMS or CSDRMS) is 2019105. 4. In the database of Chinese loan commitments that SAIS-CARI released in July 2020, a $42 million Bank of China loan is identified for this project. SAIS-CARI does not identify the borrowing terms of the loan. AidData relies on the face value ($41,612,944.52) and borrowing terms (2 year grace period, 11 year maturity, interest rate of 6.3%) of the loan that are recorded in a March 2021 publication of the Government of Cameroon’s Caisse Autonome d'Amortissements (CAA). 5. On February 22, 2018, Bank of China and the Government of Cameroon's Ministry of Defense (MINDEF) signed a $41,780,769 (CFA 23 billion) commercial loan agreement for Phase 1 of the Intelligent Urban Video Surveillance System Expansion Project. This loan commitment is captured via Record ID#58535. Also, in June 2018, Cameroon's Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development (MINEPAT) signed a contract with the Bank of China for the extension of a 44.9 billion CFA franc credit line to finance Phase 1 of the Intelligent Urban Video Surveillance System Expansion Project. This credit line is captured via Record ID#85646. 6. On December 29, 2021, the Government of Cameroon authorized its Ministry of Finance to negotiate an EUR 50 million loan agreement with China Construction Bank (CCB) for Phase 2 of the Intelligent Urban Video Surveillance System Expansion Project. However, AidData has not yet identified any evidence that a loan agreement was CCB was finalized.