Rwanda is on a drive to raise financing for the Bugesera Airport, which is scheduled to be completed in 2020.
Claver Gatete, Minister for Infrastructure told The EastAfrican
that the government is working with Portuguese logistics firm
Mota-Engil to “get the adequate financing necessary for construction to
completion.”
Mota-Engil began construction in August
2017 through a public-private partnership, which grants it the rights to
operate the airport for 25 years to recoup its total investment,
estimated at about $820 million, with an option to extend the agreement
for 15 years.
President Paul Kagame said in December 2018 that the construction designs for the airport had been updated for improvement.
“The
design (of Bugesera) was all over the place. We wanted to make
improvements in design and quality and even expand it,” he said at a
press conference.
The first phase of construction is estimated to cost $418 million while the second phase will cost $382 million.
The government’s stake in the airport remains undisclosed, but
in 2017, it liquidated its stake in I&M Bank to raise Rwf11.5
billion ($13.6 million) to fund its equity in the project.
When asked, Mr Gatete said: “We discuss with our lenders regarding the funding and if there is any change we will inform you.”
Deadline
He
said that although the 2020 completion deadline remains, “Usually, when
you’re implementing such a big project, there are certain things you
keep modifying as you go, especially improving the design, mobilising
resources and other things. These technical issues affect many things as
you implement they will determine its completion date.''
The
new airport is billed to dwarf Kigali International Airport, coming
with a 13 per cent higher passenger capacity, a single 3,750-metre
runway, a 30,000 square metre passenger terminal, 22 check-in counters,
10 gates and six passenger boarding bridges.
It is expected to handle 1.7 million passengers per annum, almost double the country's current total traffic.
Bugesera
will be the country’s third international airport after Kigali
International Airport and Kamembe International Airport in western
Rwanda.
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