Luanda – Five companies are competing for the management and maintenance of Lobito Port after the country launched a public tender on September 8.
Bidders for the project, located in western Benguela province, are Mota Engil, from Portugal; CITIC and CR20 (China), Trafigura (Switzerland) and DP World (UAE).
So far, the multinationals are the only candidates in the international tender for the management and maintenance of the infrastructure of this economic asset, says a note from the Ministry of Transport that has reached ANGOP.
The deadline for submission of the proposals for the tender ends on December 7.
The concession period will be of 30 years, during which, the successful tenderer will manage the transport of large cargoes, with greater predominance for ores and fuels, while the public service of passenger transport and small cargo will remain under the Benguela Railway management.
Angolan government has said it intends to ensure the maximisation and economic enhancement of the Lobito Corridor railway infrastructure, to boost provincial economies, and to generate new direct and indirect jobs for national citizens.
The international tender for the management and maintenance of the Lobito Corridor infrastructure aims to promote the economic, social, and cultural development of the local communities in order to encourage national production along the entire concession perimeter.
The revival of the Lobito Corridor is part of the Executive's effort to strengthen regional integration and materialise the sub-region's commitments.
Lobito Corridor has a set of rail, port, airport, and road infrastructures that connect the coastal Lobito city to the DRC and Zambia, with the advantage of being the shortest corridor with access to a port.
