Cameroon: Bolloré CMA CGM and CHEC is leading the race for the concession of the terminal at the port of Kribi containers

The three candidates for the concession of the container terminal of the deepwater port of Kribi in South Cameroon region, filed on February 25, 2015, their final offers with the special commission set up in services the Prime Minister, after several prequalification dialogue sessions, do we learn from authorized sources.

Said committee, according to our sources, has just completed an analysis of the final offers submitted by the three candidates are the Bolloré group CMA CGM & CHEC, APMT and ICTSI, and is preparing to send its report to the Cameroonian Prime Minister Philemon Yang for the appointment of the successful concession of the container terminal of what will become the largest port platform of the country or even the entire West African coast.

Sources familiar with the matter, with a final financial offer of € 623.4 million (about 409 billion CFA francs), the consortium led by Bolloré Africa Logistics, which is associated with CMA CGM, the 3rd World owner, and the Chinese company CHEC, who built the deepwater port of Kribi; well ahead of its competitors. Upon observation, the financial offer (which includes both the entry fee, the fixed fee and

 variable fee that is a percentage that will be levied annually on dealer sales) rose after the pre-qualification of dialogue, since it stood at 472.4 million euros (about 309 billion CFA francs) to the bid opening October 4, 2014.

The ICTSI candidate ranked second by the Special Committee has, meanwhile, made a final financial offer of 467.3 million euros, slightly over 306 billion CFA francs. One notices that the final ICTSI offer is a little more than 100 billion CFA francs less than the consortium led by Bolloré, but also seriously increased (70%) after the pre dialog -qualification. In fact, before this step that allowed this applicant to finally classify in 2nd place behind the consortium led by Bolloré, ICTSI had made an initial offer of 284 million euros, barely 186 billion CFA francs, and ranked third in the opening of bids.

458 billion CFA francs Eximbank of China to build the second terminal

The least important final offer was made by APMT, which is just 403.6 million euros (about 264 billion CFA francs), slightly more than half of the best financial offer held by the group Bolloré-CMA CGM CHEC. If this group is leading the race from the start of the process of appointing the dealer terminal at the port of Kribi containers, APMT the company, it has lost its position as the second after the pre-qualification dialogue, eventually finishing 3rd of 3, according to the final report prepared by the special commission aforementioned.

However, beyond the financial offers that are the key criteria for the designation of the concessionaire of the terminal to the port of Kribi containers, blows a source close to the case, the Cameroonian government has conditioned the granting of this market to the engagement the future concessionaire of the first terminal, build the second, a distance of 700 meters of quay, against 350 meters for the former. On this test again, we learn, the Chinese company CHEC, which applies for the grant of the first terminal with Bolloré Africa Logistics and CMA CGM has already completed with the Cameroonian government, with Eximbank of China, funding (750 million dollars, or about 458 billion CFA francs) for the construction of the second terminal.

BRM