Last 14 June were published the results of the International Restricted Call for Tenders for the concession to develop, operate and maintain the Multi-purpose Terminal of the Port of Kribi. International Container Services Inc (ICTSI), a Filipino company, was announced successful bidder. Till date, the terminal has been operated by a Cameroonian subcontractor, KPMO Group, after the failure of NECOTRANS, the then successful bidder of the terminal. After the final step which is actually the negotiation of the terms of agreement with the Port Authority of Kribi, ICTSI should manage the concession to develop, operate and maintain the Multi-Purpose Terminal.

The selection of the company was based on several elements. The short-listing procedure comprised of four key steps: the prequalification, the technical qualification through an international restricted call for tenders and the third step, the financial qualification. It is at the end of the latter that the company was declared provisional successful bidder. Now come the negotiation and awarding of the contract between PAK officials and ICTSI managers, which should start on 24 July 2019 in Kribi. Once the company settles in Kribi, it intends to make use of its rich and diverse experience acquired since 1987 to achieve the missions assigned by the Port Authority. ICTSI has acquired a vast experience in Africa. The company operates terminals in DRC, Sudan and Madagascar inter alia.

In this regard, ICTSI has promised to develop the Multi-purpose Terminal of Kribi by complying with the strictest international standards in terms of operations, HSSE and maintenance, to give a commercial visibility to the facility and to improve on equipment productivity. In the same vein, the Filipino company should have a unique approach by making the terminal a reference in Central Africa thanks to its high performance and an outstanding quality service. The Multi-Purpose Terminal of the Port of Kribi is a platform with a 10-ha total surface area, a 4000 m2 warehouse, a berthing line equipped with mobile cranes, and fleet equipment. On 22 June 2017, the first commercial vessel left the Port with biomass bound to Northern Europe. Since July 2019, the facility has been temporarily operated by Kribi Polyvalent Multiple Operators (KPMO), a Cameroonian consortium.