Kinshasa March 31st, 2021 (CPA).- The Federation of Congo Businesses, through its professional committee of maritime agents (CPAM) and the Congolese sea lanes (CVM) signed on Tuesday in Kinshasa, a collaboration contract for the creation and management of an additional and conventional dredging support fee, the Congolese employers, CPA learned on Wednesday.
According to the Managing Director of FEC, Kimona Bononge, this contract aims to support dredging works in order to improve navigability in the maritime reach of the Congo River. This will allow ocean-going vessels to safely serve the ports of Boma and Matadi, in the province of Kongo Central.
The source indicates that this contract is concluded for a period of 6 years, renewable by express renewal after favorable opinion following an evaluation made by the two partners. Two axes determine the terms of collaboration of this contract, namely, support for the execution of dredging works as well as the acquisition of a new dredge, and related equipment.
The share of responsibility of each signatory party
The same source specifies that in this contract, FEC provides financial means through its members who pay the additional and conventional dredging support fee (RACAD), means the sum of 2.40 euros. This sum thus constitutes an additional portion of additional revenue which will be made available to CVM.
RACAD will be supplied by the additional quota to the navigation fee and will be paid by the shipowners, through their shipping agents, on the basis of an invoice issued by CVM at a fixed rate. This rate is 0.50 euros per GRT for the vessel limited to Banana; 1.6 euros per GT for the vessel which is limited to mud 16; 1.2 euros per GRT; 2.1 euros per GRT for the vessel passing through the stray zone.
The same source adds that this pricing will be cast in the form of an interministerial decree. « On behalf of CVM, with the signing of this contract, the foundations for the relaunch of the company have been laid. This is what CVM lacked for a long time to be able to effectively maintain the maritime reaches. We have acquired a powerful dredge. As you know, what was missing are more the equipment and the financial means. With this agreement, we will have additional income to allow him to do his job. With the new dredge, renamed FATSHI, which was put into service in March 2020, we have the assurances that it satisfactorily responds to the work to be done on the maritime reach. This dredge achieves 30,000 cubic meters per day, instead of 20,000 cubic meters per month previously achieved with the former partner who worked night and day with CVM”, declared the general manager of CVM, Christine Tissé.
CVM therefore has a duty to ensure quality work, so as to make profitable these new revenues which will allow new acquisitions, she indicated, before adding that after the signing of the said contract, escrow accounts will be created in a few local banks where the revenue from the new fees will be housed and managed.
As a reminder, CVM had previously signed a 10 (ten) year public-private partnership contract with the firm Trading which was unilaterally terminated by the latter. ACP/Kayu/KJI