Announcement of Nineteen Million Dollars for Highways in Cameroon on February 11, 1970

INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR ,;,~·" l\l.()/,,1,P.1 RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL DF~VELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (~) 1818 H STREET, NW. WASHINGTON D.C.20433 TELEPHONE. EXECUTIVE 3-6360 Bank Press Release No. 70/8 IDA Press Release No. 70/7 Subject: $19 million for highways February 11, 1970 in Cameroon The World Bank and its affiliate, the International Development Association (IDA), are lending $19 million for a highway project in the Federal Republic of Cameroon. Two of the roads involved will make a major contribution toward com- pletion of the vital Transcameroon road-rail route which will extend from the Chad border to the coast. Two others radiate from Douala, the main port: one to link with Victoria, an important commercial center, and the other with the densely populated, Bamileke agricultural region. The proj~ct comprises the ~ improvement to all-weather standards of a total of 183 miles of road which will expedite the transport of goods at lower costs, and feasibility studies and de- tailed engineering of an additional 269 miles. The economic growth of Cameroon hinges mainly on its agricultural develop- ment. Cameroon has considerable productive potent.:al but development of important inland regions has been hampered by the limitations of the transport system on which the export of agricultural products depends. Furthermore, part of the task of economic and social integration of East and West Cameroon, which joined to be- come a Federation in 1961, involves the improvement of the transport links between the important population centers of the country. Recognizing the decisive importance of transportation to economic growth, I the Government has given transport improvement a dominant place in its develop- • ment plans. The single, most important prcject is improvement of the Transcameroon /more  Dank P.R. No. 70/8 - Cameroc;,1::, !Ughways IDA P.R. No. 70/7 - 2 - route, a major interregional and international link about 1,240 miles long. It 4I connects the heavily populated and potentially productive northern provinces with the rest of the country and the sea, particularly with Yaounde, the capital, and . .Jt- ~ Douala, the main port; it also serves the southwestern part of landlocked Chad. This involves expanding the port of Douala, increasing the capacity of the rail- way line from Douala to Yaounde, extending this railway to N'Gaoundere, and pro- viding a better road from N'Gaoundere via Garoua and Mora to the Chad border. In addition to its own contribution and Bank and IDA assistance for these works, the Government is receiving funds from the United States, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, the European Development Fund and the European Investment Bank. The Bank loan and IDA credit will assist in financing improvement of the 169-rnile Transcarneroon road section from N'Gaoundere to Garoua, and feasibility studies and detailed engineering of the next 157-mile section from Garoua to Mora. To improve transport links with West Cameroon, a road between Douala and Tiko was 41 recently built with French financing. With the help of Bank and IDA funds, this high-standard, paved road will be extended another 14 miles to Victoria, an impor- tant port and commercial center. Feasibility studies and enginee~ing for the two reads now to be improved were financed by a World Bank grant of $200,000 and an IDA credit of $550,000. The project also includes feasibility studies and detailed engineering of a 112-mile road from Douala to Pont du Nkam in the Bamileke region. Both the Bank loan and the IDA credit will be made to the Federal Republic of Cameroon. The Bank loan, in the amount of $12 million, will be for a term of 30 years, including a 10-year period of grace, with interest at 7%. The IDA credit, of $7 million, will be for a term of 50 years, including 10 years of grace. It will be interest-free, but a service charge of 3/4 of 1% will be made to cover IDA's administrative costs. - 0 - 41 , J FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON FIRST HIGHWAY PROJECT • _ ~o R tl ,\ lt ;; 100 KM , 1,.,_ic.:t ro,1<ls to h1; c:onstructeu ,·r,,Jc',:t n,ads to l•f• ..;tudied i .,_,.\ unJcr .:,rnstrw.:t i.·,n (Kl I( ::-:r.· r,,i..'n f.u;ani.:r,:) anJ v r,· : ,. : t cJ t 1·.\C, 111), !'I !l ttnJ !,•.{:r•- fi111111,vcl1 ' 0 ::,t, rnatinnal airport l•!:,T.\SCIJS IN KILOMETERS f-ort L,1my·l•oual.1 (Cameroon Route) 2,080 tort l,:rn;y-Lagos (\igeri.an Route) Z,040 G:1roua·U.irutu (ilenue Route) 1,550 'lounJou-Pte.Noire (Transcquatorial Route) 2,450 ......... '"L. \ MO~ \ t \ \ • AFRICAN } . ' t Ij' <' i' \ .__, 8 9hl of 8,,1/ro "REPUBLIC "·"·....._ \..... • > ) / \ / '\ . : ·-... --·-·-·-·-·-·.) :.-.-·-·-·-·-·-·-·L·-·-·-·-·~ , ,.,. -~/ / . REPUBLIC OF ! ~; .l ,. . ---·~ r-· \ EQUATORIAL GUINEA I ~ 'J G A B O N l C O N G O ·~·.......,·....-·-."'\.. ~. ;::; } (BRAZZAVILLE) ·, \ I '----~~-------'----~--------~-------------~---------------------_;;,_____. JAt.JtJAf.,-1 J'I/', ; ( V· IE!RrJ - 2ll'lRI