At PROMOTE: Douala Port Authority unveils breathtaking achievements, ongoing reforms.

This was the focus of a conference the institution staged at the just ended International Exhibition for Enterprises, SMEs and Partnerships of Yaounde, PROMOTE. This was on Friday February 23. 

Discussions took place under the theme: “The drive of renovation, modernisation and development of infrastructures and substructures: guarantee for competitiveness and attractiveness”.

The Director Delegate, of the Douala-Bonaberi Container Port Terminal, Onana Ndoh, led the PAD delegation. 

He told reporters that, hierarchy mandated him and others to use the PROMOTE outing as a window of informing and updating public knowledge of what is being done at the port.

Ndoh said in recent years, several innovations have been taking place at PAD with results visible both in terms of how the facility is responding to stakeholders and its contribution to national development. 

The head of delegation also talked of ongoing projects and those for the long term to keep PAD resilient and productive.

He said in the meantime, several construction works are ongoing for facilities like warehouses, parking space for truck drivers, the institution of modern telecoms facilities alongside others. 

In the near future, he said, due to the congestion at the Douala-Bonaberi port, PAD is working to open another port in Manoka.

In a series of presentations, officials of the different institutions and sectors that make up PAD, detailed on record-breaking achievements in recent times. 

They also talked about short and long term goals to keep the institution at pace with global shifts.

Presentations in three sessions marked the PAD conference at PROMOTE. Among topics treated were: the situation and development strategy of the Port of Douala-Bonaberi; structural transformation and governance of PAD; and the physical transformation of the Port of Douala-Bonaberi.

In terms of figures and the economic importance of PAD, officials revealed breathtaking statistics in relation to wealth, job creation and trade between the country and the globe. 

This, they said, situates PAD as the major engine of the economy of the nation and Douala in particular.

Figures that speak

It emerged from Friday’s conference that PAD is the passage for around 70 percent of Cameroon’s trade with its commercial partners across the globe. 

The facility, it was also said, generates revenue of around 1,365 billion FCFA annually. 78 percent of this is said to be coming from indirect actors while 14 percent of the money comes from direct stakeholders of PAD. 

At least 17.9% of jobs in the formal sector nationally are tied to PAD while for the host economic city, the figure stands at 43.1 %.

The facility, in terms of direct and indirect jobs provides a source of livelihood to 166,795 persons who earn an aggregate salary of 495.2 billion FCFA. 

In the city of Douala, officials said, PAD alone is responsible for 35.1% of the formal economy and 28% of the informal sector annually. Nationally, they said, PAD contributes to 13.5 % of the formal economy and 11 percent of the informal economy.

Revenue mobilisation feat

Officials also disclosed that PAD is responsible for the mobilisation of 85 percent of customs revenue. They put the figures at the level of the Port of Douala-Bonaberi at 700 billion FCFA. 

Between 2018 and 2019, the figure was said to be on an average scale of 8,21.6 billion FCFA.

On other details, PAD officials at the conference further revealed, institution contributes to the raising of 25.2 % of the country’s non-oil revenue; 21.7% internal state revenue generation and around the payment of 27.2 billion FCFA in the form of taxes on productions and  results by direct and indirect actors.

The turning point for PAD

The Head of the Judicial Affairs Service at PAD, Sibe Syvie Laure, said a presidential decree of 12 July 2017, gave the institution new governance possibilities. 

She said with difficulties in the past, related to the defunct Cameroon National Ports Office, ONPC, the presidential fiat made it possible for PAD to transform itself into a purely business organisation with substructures.

This structural transformation gave birth to: the Douala-Bonaberi Port Container Terminal Unit, the Dredging Unit, the Towing Unit, Property Unit and the Douala Port Security, DPS. 

These sub facilities are now run as independent units under the PAD Group. It is a transformation which resource persons said, has given the State the pride of place in almost all sectors of the Doula Port Authority. It is being run today as the PAD Group.

The Director of the Towing Unit, Edward Chuyeh, said since the transformation of 2020, the service under his control has become more performant. 

Chuyeh talked of the acquisition of new equipment which has made work easier. He said in 2023, the service carried out several activities resulting in a rise of money paid into the state coffers.

Billions saved in dredging Port

On his part, the Director of the Dredging Unit, Samuel Ngondi Eboua, said PAD has saved billions that used to be spent on foreign companies to dredge the port and keep the passage of vessels free of obstacles. 

He disclosed that before now, PAD used to spend an estimated 10 billion FCFA annually to dredge the port.

Ngondi disclosed that, President Biya had first asked for such a facility to be put in place 2008 but it was only in 2018 that it was created. 

The PAD, he said, acquired equipment and the service has been living up to expectations. He talked about the vessel, Mount Mandara, that is principally used to dredge the port.

The service, he disclosed, has 120 Cameroonians not more than 35 years old who have been trained and are doing exceptionally well. 

Through the creation of a dredging service, Ngondi said, Cameroon has regained its sovereignty in that aspect of maritime business.

With the current climatic mutations, sedimentation on the seabed and water bodies such as rivers Dibamba and Mougou emptying into Wouri, he said, there is need for constant dredging. 

Sediments as far as Dschang in the West Region, Ngondi disclosed, are having an impact on the life of the port. With experience gained in the sector, he said other countries in Africa are now soliciting Cameroon’s support.

Securing port property, investing in new sectors

The Director of the unit in charge of the ports properties, Yepmou Jean, said 26 sites have been identified in Douala where PAD has properties. Actions, he stated, are ongoing to get such protected possibly through obtaining land titles where needed.

The PAD, he said, has bought 35 hectares of land in Akwa North. Through such property, Yepmou declared that in the long term, PAD would diversify its investments into real estate and possibly construct a referral hospital, build parking spaces among others. 

All these, Yepmou underscored, are meant to guarantee a future without crisis for PAD.

Douala Port Security living up to expectation

The boss of another subsidiary of PAD, the Douala Port Security, DPS, Colonel Mekinda Bertrand, opined that given the strategic location of the port in the Gulf of Guinea, several security measures have been taken.

With a trained man power of 500 personnel, Colone Mekinda said besides constructing a fence, there serious security controls both manually and through the use of high level technology to ensure security. 

He also talked about the scanning of all vessels and sea patrols among others. The actions, the officer said, are meant to keep PAD up to international standard in terms of security and attractiveness.

Changes at container terminal

For the boss of the container terminal, the transformation agenda took off amid abandoned infrastructure, equipment and staff that were not motivated. At least 70 percent of the infrastructure, Ndoh he said, was in bad shape when reforms went underway.

Few years down the road, he sounded positive that, much has been done. With an investment plan of 90 billion FCFA previewed for the next 10 years, Ndoh said they have already invested 40 billion in the last four years. 

At this pace, he reassured that, the future is bright. PAD’s management, he reiterated, is bent on exploring best options to keep the institution as the backbone of Cameroon’s economy.