Completed Mixed AidData Chinese Aid

CDB provides $249.5 million loan for Túpac Katari (TKSAT-1) Communications Satellite (Linked to Record ID#36269 and #36270)

$249.54M USD

Funder	China Development Bank (CDB)
Recipient Organization	Government of Bolivia
Country	Bolivia
Start Date	Dec 23, 2010
End Date	Aug 09, 2026
Duration	5,708 days
Number of Grantees	1
Roles	Recipient
Data Source	AidData Chinese Aid
Grant ID	`35922`

Grant Description

CDB provides $249.5 million loan for Túpac Katari (TKSAT-1) Communications Satellite On December 23, 2010, China Development Bank (CDB) and the Government of Bolivia signed a $251,124,000 loan agreement for the Túpac Katari (TKSAT-1) Communications Satellite Project. The face value of the loan was subsequently downsized to $249,539,000.

📋 Loan / Grant Terms

💰 Loan Amountcarried the following borrowing terms: an interest rate of 6-month LIBOR plus a 2

The borrower was expected to use the proceeds of the loan to partially finance a commercial contract between the Government of Bolivia and Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), which was signed on December 13, 2010.

The lender made disbursements worth $120,315,500 between 2010 and 2012, $113,928,000 in 2013, $14,510,500 in 2014, and $785,000 in 2015.

The borrower made loan repayments worth $5,601,763 in 2013 ($0 in principal and $5,601,763 in interest/fees), $7,736,731 in 2014 ($0 in principal and $7,736,731 in interest/fees), $28,418,960 in 2015 ($20,795,000 in principal and $7,623,960 in interest/fees), $28,810,793 in 2016 ($20,795,000 in principal and $8,015,793 in interest/fees), $29,127,846 in 2017 ($20,795,000 in principal and $8,332,846 in interest/fees), $29,654,894 in 2018 ($20,795,000 in principal and $8,859,894 in interest/fees), $29,490,694 in 2019 ($20,795,000 in principal and $8,695,694 in interest/fees), an unknown amount in 2020, $24,305,073 in 2021 ($20,795,000 in principal and $3,510,073 in interest/fees), $24,745,047 in 2022 ($20,795,000 in principal and $3,950,047 in taxes/fees), and $27,176,679 in 2023 ($20,795,000 in principal and $6,381,679 in taxes/fees).

The loan’s (principal) amount outstanding was $120,315,500 as of December 31, 2012, $234,243,500 as of December 31, 2013, $248,754,000 as of December 31, 2014, $228,744,000 as of December 31, 2015, $207,949,000 as of December 31, 2016, $187,154,000 as of December 31, 2017, $166,359,000 as of December 31, 2018, $145,564,000 as of December 31, 2019, $124,769,000 as of December 31, 2020, $103,974,000 as of December 31, 2021, $83,179,000 as of December 31, 2022, and $62,384,000 as of December 31, 2023.

The purpose of the project was to develop and launch the ‘Túpac Katari’ communications satellite.

The satellite, which owes its name to an Aymara warrior and activist who fought the Spanish for indigenous independence in the 18th century, weighs 5.3 tons, 2.36 meters long and 2.1 meters wide. Its useful life is 15-years. It consists of 30 channels and operates on three frequencies.

The first frequency is used to cover a large part of the Bolivian territory in internet services, the second frequency covers radio and communication broadcasts and the third frequency is planned to rent different types of transmissions to neighboring countries.

The main customer of the Túpac Katari satellite services is the state-owned National Telecommunications Company (Entel), and the Government of Bolivia expected that the satellite would generate annual revenues of nearly $40 million for the provision of services to local and international firms. CGWIC was the contractor responsible for project implementation, which commenced in August 2011.

Bolivia's first communications satellite, Tupac Katari (TKSAT-1), was officially launched on December 20, 2013 from the Xinchang satellite launch center.

It was launched by the LM-3B/E launch vehicle developed by China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), and China Satellite Launch & Tracking Control General (CLTC) was responsible for the ground segment. On April 1, 2014, the satellite began commercial operations.

The Túpac Katari satellite project was reportedly so successful that the Government of Bolivia decided that it wanted to build two more.

Then, on on September 20, 2023 (via Supreme Decree No. 5026), the Government of Bolivia authorized Bolivia's Minister of Development Planning to sign an amendment to the December 23, 2010 loan agreement with CDB, which would replace the LIBOR-based interest rate with an alternative reference rate.

📋 Staff Comments

For loan and debt rescheduling records with variable interest rates, AidData calculates the all-in interest rate at T0 based on the reference rate (such as LIBOR or EURIBOR) on the loan start date, plus any known margin. Please see the methodology for additional details.
This record is linked to Project ID#36269 and Project ID#36270 [Second Bolivian Communications Satellite (TKSAT-2).]3. The Chinese project title is 玻利维亚通信卫星系统项目.

📚 Sources & References

China iniciará respaldo a Bolivia para poner en órbita primer satélite
Bolivia creará agencia espacial para lanzamiento de satélite
FDI Alert - Bolivia Gains From China's Growing Interest In Latin America
Bolivia anuncia la creación de una agencia espacial, 'China to build, launch telecoms satellite for Bolivia'
Bolivia firma un acuerdo con China para construir su primer satélite
Bolivia
China
ITU partner on satellite construction
China lends Bolivia $251 mln to fund satellite
China moves to help Bolivia launch satellite
Bolivia's space agency completes deployment of six aerials for national satellite
Bolivian satellite successfully launches from China
英媒称中国贷款2.51亿美元帮玻利维亚造卫星
China’s Advance in Latin America Has more Challenges than Xi’s Visit Suggests
Inside China: Space technology, trade practices of China a concern for Latin America countries
La presencia china en Bolivia
In-Orbit Delivery - LaoSat 1 Program
Túpac Katari 1
Bolivian satellite in orbit after successful launch from China
Bolivia to pay back loan to China for Tupac Katari satellite
Bolivia: Decreto Supremo Nº 746, 22 de diciembre de 2010
Offering Memorandum (Bond Prospectus 2012) - Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia
Offering Memorandum (Bond Prospectus 2013) - Estado Purinacional de Bolivia
Bolivia´s National Satellite Program Tupac Katari I
China-Latin America Finance Database
Bolivia sets sights on launching 2nd communications satellite
Informe de la Deuda Externa Publica al 30 de junio de 2013
Informe de la Deuda Externa Publica al 31 de diciembre de 2013
Informe de la Deuda Externa Publica al 31 de diciembre de 2016
Flat export of geocoded foreign aid funded projects from Bolivia Ministry of Development Planning 2000-2013
China’s design to capture regional SatCom markets
玻由中国帮助发射的第一颗卫星的正式交付运行将为玻国带来福音
Bolivia recauda 33 mdd en dos años de operación del satélite 'Túpac Katari'
图帕克•卡塔里卫星服务的应用将为玻国家电信公司节省8000万美元
驻玻利维亚大使黄亚中出席玻卫星地面站改造项目启动仪式
Inauguran primera estación terrena del satélite Túpac Katari en Amachuma
Bolivia inaugura su estación terrena en Amachuma
中国向玻利维亚交付通信卫星, 74 PROFESIONALES SERÁN BECADOS A CHINA PARA MANEJAR EL SATÉLITE TUPAC KATARI, 64名玻技术人员赴华接受卫星培训
China Uses Space Diplomacy to Extend Its Inroads Into Latin America
In-Orbit Delivery
Business Engagement with China: A Latin America Divided
Are Chinese Economic Actors Poised to Dominate Latin American Economies? A View from Bolivia and Chile
Informe de la Deuda Externa Publica al 31 de diciembre de 2015
我国将于十二月下旬发射玻利维亚通信卫星
INFORME DE LA DEUDA PÚBLICA EXTERNA AL 31 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2021
INFORME de la DEUDA EXTERNA PÚBLICA AL 31 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019
Informe de la Deuda Externa Publica al 31 de diciembre de 2014
INFORME de la DEUDA EXTERNA PÚBLICA AL 31 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2017
INFORME de la DEUDA EXTERNA PÚBLICA AL 31 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2018
INFORME DE LA DEUDA PÚBLICA EXTERNA AL 31 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2022
Bolivia: Decreto Supremo Nº 5026, 20 de septiembre de 2023
Decreto Supremo 5026
Decreto Supremo 5026
Seguro de 200 millones de dólares protege inversión del satélite Túpac Katari
Seguro de 200 millones de dolares protege inversion del satelite tupac katari
La estatal Entel cubrirá deuda por el satélite boliviano
Texto LEY N° 1546 PRESUPUESTO GENERAL DEL ESTADO - GESTIÓN 2024
INFORME DE LA DEUDA PÚBLICA EXTERNA AL 31 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2023
State-owned Entel will cover debt for the Bolivian satellite Loan applications and disbursements are still being received and processed as the projects continue to evolve. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are in place to ensure project continuity.

All Grantees

Government of Bolivia

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