China will invest around USD 100 million in the project to expand and modernize the São Tomé international airport, which will start in six months, the local Government announced.
The Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Wuando Castro, who represented the Minister of Infrastructure at the signing of the agreement said the ammount is a donation from the Chinese side, for which São Tomé e Príncipe is “very grateful” and that it “greatly cherishes”.
For more than a year, technicians from Chinese companies have been in the country carrying out technical and environmental studies for the implementation of this project.
The economic and commercial adviser at the Chinese Embassy in São Tomé and Príncipe, Hao Qinmei signed the agreement on the Chinese side, adding that it is a step towards the construction on the project “as soon as possible”.
The minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers cautioned that there are some prior actions that the São Tomé side has to complete, “namely the issue of ceding the land to the installation of the construction site for the runway expansion area, resolve the issue of access to the airport, the extension of the electrical network and provision of water for the works”.
Castro said the requalification of the airport is “a structuring project” for the country and “has been aimed for many years” but which “due to various setbacks”, namely covid-19, has experienced some delays.
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“This project will allow, above all, that, in a way, we start to unblock the country, to create the possibility of landing of larger planes, of receiving several flights simultaneously, it will allow the extension of the runway by more than 600 meters, especially towards the sea, will also allow the requalification of the annex buildings and the increase of our aircraft parking capacity”, said Castro.
In addition, according to Castro, the project will make it possible to provide São Tomé companies and public institutes with greater capacity in air traffic control.
“We are not interested in whether this Government or the next one will continue (…) this is a project of the Sao Tome people, it is a project of the Sao Tome State”, declared the minister.
