Kinshasa, May 29th, 2021 (CPA).- The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula and the Ugandan Party signed on Thursday in Entebbe, Uganda, two agreements, one of which is intergovernmental by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula, the other road by the Minister of State and Minister in charge of Infrastructure and Public Works, Alexis Gisaro Muvunyi, indicates a press release from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Works received Friday at the CPA. The two agreements consist in clearing the flow of commercial traffic between the two countries. The first concerns the Pondwe (Uganda) road axis from Kasindi to Beni for a length of 84 km on the national road no4 as well as that of Butembo, which is 54 km long on the RN2. The second agreement concerns the Bunagana (Uganda) and Bunagana road axis on the DRC side, up to Rutshuru and Goma with a length of 89 km on national road No. 28.
The roads will be built using a BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) model, which means « build, operate and transfer », an investment model in which many actors, including the State and private concessionaires, intervene. To this end, DOTT Service’s Limited will make its return on investment thanks to the toll. The source emphasizes that the signing of the project is in line with the commitments of two heads of state, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who dealt with the file during their meeting in November 2020. President Yoweri Museveni, on this occasion, recalled that President Félix Tshisekedi supports, like him, several projects between the brotherly Ugandan and Congolese peoples.
This protocol, adds the source, participates in the improvement of communication channels and the intensification of trade between neighboring countries.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Christophe Lutundula, underlined that these structuring projects give hope to a region which has known only disturbances to the peace of mind over the past two decades. The launching of the work is planned as soon as possible for the interest of the populations of two countries, it is indicated.
Funding for this project is provided by « Dott services united » for 60% of the work, the remaining 40% are borne by two countries at 20% each. According to the Minister of State Gisaro, the starting of work is near, there is a question that the actors concerned by the project fix themselves on an execution schedule for the materialization of the project. As a reminder, there is a cross-border trade between the two countries which is carried out mainly by women on both sides. This trade prompted the construction of border hangars to humanize the relationship between border services and economic operators and allow the government to improve customs revenue. ACP/Fng/nig