KINSHASA - A number of Indonesian state-owned enterprises (SOEs) signed contracts to build infrastructure projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Wednesday (14/10).
The SOEs are rolling stock manufacturer PT INKA (Persero), which will build the Kinshasa Loop Line train network and a commuter train network in Kinshasa and procure electric buses in the city; electronic equipment manufacturer PT Len Industri (Persero), which will build an optic fibre cable network; commuter airline PT Merpati Nusantara Airlines (Persero) and aerospace manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (Persero), which will build an Aero City as part of Kinshasa's Ndjili International Airport; and construction firm PT Barata Indonesia (Persero), which will build a smart city and port infrastructure.
"This agreement is a follow-up to a memorandum of understanding signed in August 2020. The first phase of investment in the projects will be worth US$2 billion," said INKA CEO Budi Noviantoro in an official statement published by the Embassy of Indonesia in Nairobi, Kenya on Thursday (15/10).
According to Kinshasa Governor Gentily Ngobila Mbala, the DRC capital requires supporting infrastructur to serve its population, which has more than doubled to 15 million since the DRC's independence in 1960.
The infrastructure contracts were signed following the groundbreaking of a solar power plant, with a planned total capacity of 200 MW, developed by INKA, Len, and Barata in August. The project is part of the Kinshasa Solar City megaproject, which aims to meet electricity demand in the DRC. (MS)