8out of 9 senators from the South Region, together with a number of mayors, all turn out this afternoon, Thursday 21 July 2023, to visit the quays and terminals of the Deep-sea Port of Kribi. These elected representatives were marveled by the topnotch level of safety and security at the access gates, the size of the port infrastructure, the quantity and quality of equipment, the gigantic size of the extension worksite referred to as Phase II of construction of Kribi Port and the spectacular abundance of port and logistics activities on the site. It all began in the morning with an audience granted by the General Manager of the Port Authority of Kribi (PAK) to the delegation of Honourable Members of the Senate led by Senator Calvin ZANG OYONO. Patrice MELOM and his closest collaborators seized the opportunity to present the great achievement that the Deep-sea Port of Kribi is; its key role in the economic growth and development of our country; the managerial efforts of the PAK’s Top Management, which is working daily to make it a reliable, viable, competitive and sustainable port. Once they got on the port quays at Mboro, the elected representatives were taken in turn to the container terminal, the fire station and the multi-purpose terminal. These visitors had the privilege of catching a glimpse of the first lines of the new quays, 700 additional meters, that are already taking shape, in between the constant ballet of lorries, diggers and compactors. Their visit to the Kribi Port Industrial Zone (ZIPK) was another highlight of the day. The ZIPK covers a surface area of 15, 000 hectares subdivided in clusters, the potentials of which is showcased by the number of companies already established there: ACC (cocao processing plant); AGL (Logistics); Tractafric (BTP equipment); IHM (warehouses); La Pasta ( flour mill), CIMPOR (cement factory), etc.

A plethora of companies on a space designed to be a conducive setting for business. At the end of the day, after diverting on the Lolabe-Kribi motorway, the visitors learned a lot from this visit and it enabled them to appreciate the multiplicity and complexity of the stakeholders who strive, every day, to make Cameroon’s first Deep-Sea Port a benchmark logistics hub in Central Africa, the tangible evidence of the industrial and economic transformation underway in our country, and a key stakeholder in the development of the people of the South Region. With a port community made up of more than a hundred companies, the Port of Kribi has enabled the creation of new activities linked to port operations, such as warehousing, stevedoring, handling, towing, storage, transit, ship refuelling, freight traffic, etc. It should not be forgotten that that the Kribi Port Industrial Zone is in it’s a real ecosystem of opportunities on its own. It offers interesting potential for developing agricultural, forestry and mining resources processing activities. As per employment, Kribi has the potential of providing 15,000 direct jobs and around 25,000 indirect jobs by 2025. Furthermore, the major road and rail projects, which will open up the Port of Kribi, already offer a bright future for the population, in general, and for the municipalities of this Region, in particular, which are expected to draw up joint projects for setting up development hubs for tertiary activities such as banking, housing, transport, trade and entertainment. These are encouraging prospects that the visiting senators are sure to share once they return to their Administrative Districts.