In Gabon, the Minister of State, Infrastructures, Public Works and Land Use, Jean-Pierre Oyiba chaired on July 14, 2016, a work session which aimed at finding ways and means to expand the Owendo port, economy-focused news site Direct Infos revealed.

Present at the session were the ministers of economy, Régis Immongault ; budget, Christian Magnagna; Transports, Ernest Mpouho Epigat; Defense, Mathias Otounga and Nicole Assélé, Minister Delegate to the third deputy prime minister, in charge of professional training and youth integration.

During the meeting, a review was carried out with the special advisor to the Presidency, Erick Chesnel and the President of the Bolloré Group in Gabon, Antoine Horvarth, regarding the project to expand the port of Owendo and container terminal.

The port will gradually modernize and transform so as to compete with its Cameroonian and Congolese rivals. Thus, the government of Gabon plans in this framework to sign with a public-private partnership with the Bolloré group.

Though many investments have been recently made for the international infrastructure, it is still far from being competitive compared the ports of Douala, Kribi, Pointe-Noire, gateways for landlocked countries in the sub-region.

Synclair Owona