Transport
From The Report: Gabon 2016
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As part of Gabon’s economic growth strategy, the authorities have been looking to accelerate the development of transport infrastructure in recent years as a means to improve national logistics competitiveness and boost development in remote areas of the country. All of the state’s planned infrastructure development projects – road, railway, shipping and aviation – have been outlined in the National Programme of Infrastructure Development, which was set out by the government in 2012. In recent years, authorities have heavily invested in transportation development as a means to improve Gabon’s logistic competitiveness and bolster economic diversification in remote areas. Although transport infrastructure is set to continue expanding, the lack of financial resources is expected to slow the pace of project developments. Since the drop in oil prices in 2014, the government’s budget has shrunk and debt has risen. As such, the development of new economic segments should serve as the primary drivers of growth for the sector in coming years.

This chapter contains an interview with Tsuyoshi Kamihira, CEO, Portek Group.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Forward motion: Increased investment in transport infrastructure is aiding diversification plans
OBG
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As part of Gabon’s economic growth strategy, the authorities have been looking to accelerate the development of transport infrastructure in recent years as a means to improve national logistics competitiveness and boost development in remote areas of the country. For this reason, public spending on transportation has averaged CFA780bn (€1.2bn) per year, or 70% of the state investment budget between 2010 and 2015, compared to CFA310bn (€465m) in 2009. All of the state’s planned infrastructure…

Interview

Flying high: OBG talks to Tsuyoshi Kamihira, CEO, Portek Group
OBG
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Interview: Tsuyoshi Kamihira How has shipping activity in Africa developed over the past five years? TSUYOSHI KAMIHIRA: In the years prior to 2014, we have observed steady volume growth, fuelled primarily by strong oil and commodity prices. Despite a slowdown, especially in 2015, Africa still offers opportunities, given that its economies have started on a low-growth basis, and investment in the port sector has remained insufficient to meet the ever-changing environment. This has been fuelled by…

Analysis

Growth network: An integrated road improvement programme is rolling out
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As the cornerstone of the Emerging Gabon Strategic Plan, the national road network has been substantially upgraded since 2009, with the paving and improvement of approximately 650 km of roads across the country. Numerous road projects are under way, expected to deliver an additional 750 km of paved roads in 2016, and have the intended benefit of increasing economic activity in remote areas. Libreville In recent years, the authorities have worked to improve Libreville’s road network and reinforce…

Overview

Essential improvements: Vital enhancements are under way at Gabon’s key ports
OBG
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As is the case in many African countries, Gabon depends heavily on imports for the supply of food staples and other basic products; this is in large part due its over-reliance on the oil and gas sector. Over the years, logistical costs have remained structurally high due to a lack of infrastructure and a persistence of administrative and regulatory barriers. In an attempt to boost Gabon’s export competitiveness and reduce the price of imports, authorities have launched the construction of new terminals…