Cameroon’s First Government-Funded Metal Bridges Face Delivery Delays Despite Meeting Deadlines 2024
The construction of metal bridges in Cameroon, funded by the government, has faced significant delays despite initial deadlines being set. The project, which involves building 55 steel bridges across various regions, has been on hold for over two years. This initiative aims to improve access to large production areas and enhance infrastructure in the country.
The delays are attributed to several factors, including financial and logistical challenges. Although some bridges were expected to be completed by March 2020, only a few have been finished, with many still in progress. The government, along with financial partners and contractors, is working to revive and complete the project, but progress has been slow.
Efforts are ongoing to address these issues and ensure the successful delivery of the remaining bridges. The Ministry of Public Works is actively involved in coordinating these efforts, hoping to overcome the obstacles and meet the infrastructure needs of the country.
The Minister of Public Works justifies this slowness by the non-payment of the start-up advance and the accounts.
The deadline has passed, and the first infrastructures executed by Cameroonian companies are not yet ready to emerge from the ground. Questioned at the National Assembly during the 2nd ordinary session, the member of the government reserved this time to project a new deadline. He did not give details on their current state of progress. We remember all the same that last April, six of the bridges supposed to be delivered between August and November 2024, showed an execution rate of less than 5%. “The pace of the work is slow, due to the very laborious payment of the start-up advances and the statements of services”, he confirmed to the deputy Engelbert Essomba Bengono on July 5.
Nearly 3 billion CFA francs released
This situation complicates the continuation of the Acrow project to the extent that, apart from the single bridge that was built, only the deck over the Ngoum River in Kekem has been delivered to the site. According to the minister, 839.3 million CFA francs have been released in 2023 and 2 billion CFA francs in 2024, i.e. a total of 2.8 billion CFA francs for a deficit of more than 5 billion CFA francs to be settled. However, the construction of these infrastructures would make it possible to smooth the flow of goods and people in the localities concerned.
The metal bridges project is the result of the signing in January 2015 of two commercial contracts with two foreign companies. The first was initiated with Acrow Corporation based in the United States for 37.2 million dollars (20.4 billion CFA francs) and was intended for the design, manufacture and supply of prefabricated sections of 55 structures. The second linked the State of Cameroon with the company Ellipse SAS based in France for 34.3 million euros (22.5 billion CFA francs). The latter was to take care of the installation of the prefabricated bridges and support the State of Cameroon in the customs clearance operations of the metal elements, sorting and transport to the work site.
Studies suspended for 05 bridges
However, the project has so far been littered with many twists and turns. Indeed, the first hiccups occurred during the study phase started in March 2016. According to Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, they were suspended for 05 works whose construction was planned in the North-West and South-West regions because of the security crisis. Then, the feasibility studies revealed that the available funding only allowed for the manufacture and supply of modular metal sections for 44 decks, resulting in a reduction of 11 works.
In June 2019, the financing from Société Générale France expired due to Ellipse’s “inability” to mobilize “effectively” for the construction of the bridges. Two months later, the work was halted with only one bridge completed, including the one over the Bella River on the Elogbatindi-Memel 2 route in the Southern region.
At the time of the termination of its contract in May 2022, we learned that the French company had fully received 8.4 billion CFA francs for 17 statements issued and a start-up advance of 4.5 billion CFA francs (20%) from Chanas Assurance SA for which the government had initiated recovery procedures. On the other hand, negotiations are continuing both with Société Générale France to take possession of the 16.8 billion CFA francs not disbursed and finalize the project, and with the French company Razel selected as the new “exporting” company.
