Bissau, Oct. 11, 2024 (Lusa) - Guinea-Bissau is preparing a plan for the development of the transport and logistics sector to speed up production and economic activities, the Minister of Public Works, Construction and Urbanism, José Carlos Esteves, told Lusa on Friday.
The plan, which is still being prepared and will be presented to the country's development partners at a round table, the date and location of which have yet to be defined, is a suggestion from the World Bank (WB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) of the European Union, the main financiers of the project.
Strengthening Guinea-Bissau's integration into Africa's sub-regional blocs is another objective of the plan, which aims to build around 1,500 kilometres of paved roads and dozens of kilometres of rural tracks, said José Carlos Esteves.
"The World Bank and the European Union, through the EIB, have understood that it is not possible to continue investing in Guinea-Bissau randomly according to the priorities of infrastructure degradation that are appearing," declared the Minister of Public Works, Construction and Urban Planning.
With the support of international consultants, the ministry headed by José Carlos Esteves has drawn up a national plan for the transport and logistics sector to be implemented over 15 years which will enable the country to equip itself with a network of roads, rural lanes, bridges and airports.
The land and sea transport network, for example, will allow the country to kick-start the agricultural production process, as well as develop the fishing, industry, mining, trade and tourism sectors, the minister pointed out.
José Carlos Esteves went on to say that what is needed is to provide the country with ports, airports and railways, from which it will be possible to develop the phosphate mines in Farim, in the north, and the bauxite mines in the east.
With regard to bridges, the minister said that under the plan, ‘more bridges’ will be built to connect various locations in Guinea-Bissau that are separated by rivers and streams.
José Carlos Esteves said that large bridges would be built, such as the one linking the two banks of the city of Farim, which he said was already underway, with funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
By next February, work will begin on building a bridge on the Imperial Canal, which links the northern part of Bissau to the town of Nhacra, providing a second outlet route from the Guinea-Bissau capital, he said.
The plan also includes the construction of four small bridges on the road linking the town of Suzana to the seaside resort of Varela in the north, as well as the towns of Boé and Tchetche in the east, he added.
Bissau airport, which is currently being redeveloped by a Turkish company, and the reconstruction of the small aircraft runway in Cufar, in the south, are also part of the development plan for Guinea-Bissau's transport and logistics sector, said José Carlos Esteves.
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