The Korean Ambassador to Cameroon, HE Cho June Hyuck, has said that the Limbe Deep Sea Port has a good number of advantages over the Douala Seaport.
HE was speaking recently in Limbe during a ceremony to launch free medical services to the population of Isongo in particular and the surrounding localities which host the Limbe Deep Seaport Development Project in general.
Speaking in Limbe at the at the end of the official ceremony, the Korean Ambassador to Cameroon told pressmen that the Cameroon Korea relationship is fast growing in terms of corporation.
He added that “The Limbe deep Seaport Project is one of our economic corporation projects, the project is very promising and has great potentials in terms of economic growth in Cameroon.”
According to the Ambassador, Douala has a river base port; hence there is limit for it to grow, while Limbe is a sea based port with much room to grow.
The Limbe seaport has great potentials in terms of national development particularly in the Southwest region by creating jobs and also serving a gateway to land-locked countries like Chad and Central African Republic.
He said the objectives of Korea in Cameroon is to be a genuine partner in economic and social sectors and hoped that the local population can join in by providing them workforce so that they can benefit from the project.
The government of Cameroon and Korea signed a partnership agreement to construct a multifunctional platform within the framework of the deep seaport in Limbe.
The accord with a Korean firm, Limbe Port Industrial Development Corporation (Lipd) was signed on Friday November 1, 2013 between Sang Ki-Yi, President and Jeawon Lee, Director General of LIPID and four Cameroonian ministers: Robertr Nkili, Jacqueline Koung a Bessike, Emmanuel Nganou Dnjoumessi and Alamine Oussman Mey.
This was in the presence of korea’s Ambassador to Cameroon, Cho June Hyuck. The project is being developed through the public private agreement partnership agreement on the basic of build, own, operate and transfer.
It emerged from the event that circa FCFA 1 billion will be needed for the port’s project.
Speaking earlier while presenting the project to the administration and other partners, Dia Mohammed Iya, the assistant project manager of the Limbe Port and industrial development corporation, Lipid said, as at now, the company has acquired their license and permit for the site including a 150 Ha Industrial zone.
She announced that construction works for the project will take off effectively in August 2014.
Dia Mohammed Iya explained that the vision of the company is to be a new regional Hub port and the first modern Industrial and free trade zone in the West African region.
She added that the project will improve the logistics and transportation infrastructures of Cameroon and its neighbouring countries.
Develop the first modern industrial port and free trade zone, provide attractive investment and business opportunities in the Central and Western African market and above all create more than 20000 direct and indirect new jobs.