Completed Mixed AidData Chinese Aid

China Eximbank provides $64.3 million preferential buyer’s credit for N'djili Airport Runway Rehabilitation Project

$64.35M USD

Funder	Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank)
Recipient Organization	Government of Democratic Republic of Congo
Country	Democratic Republic of the Congo
Start Date	Mar 13, 2012
End Date	Mar 09, 2033
Duration	7,666 days
Number of Grantees	1
Roles	Recipient
Data Source	AidData Chinese Aid
Grant ID	`53508`

Grant Description

China Eximbank provides $64.3 million preferential buyer’s credit for N'djili Airport Runway Rehabilitation Project On March 13, 2012, China Eximbank and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a $64,347,960.83 preferential buyer’s credit (PBC) agreement [China Eximbank PBC n° (2011) 37 Total n°(188)] for the N'djili Airport Runway Rehabilitation Project.

📋 Loan / Grant Terms

💰 Loan Amountincluded a 2% interest rate

📅 Maturity20 years

⏳ Grace Period9 years

💹 Interest Rate2%

The loan is secured with revenues that are generated by an airport tax (called “GoPass”) and deposited in an escrow account ("compte séquestre").

The proceeds of the loan were to be used by the borrower to finance 85% of the cost of a commercial (EPC) contract between La Régie des voies aériennes (RVA) -- the air transportation board of the Democratic Republic of the Congo -- and Sinohydro Corporation Limited, which was signed on October 26, 2011.

The remaining 15% of the EPC contract cost was to be financed by the RVA. On May 3, 2012, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the RVA signed an on-lending agreement.

📋 Loan / Grant Terms

💰 Loan Amountwith a 20-year maturity

📅 Maturity20 years

⏳ Grace Period9 years

💹 Interest Rate2.75%

According to Government of the DRC's Aid Management Platform (AMP), the loan had disbursed $32,522,038.32 as of July 2019. The loan's principal amount outstanding was $40,908,096 as of January 21, 2025.

The project involved the refurbishing of an existing runway at the N'djili Airport that is 4,000 meters long and 60 meters wide. It also involved repairs to the airport’s navigation aid system. Sinohydro Corporation Limited was the EPC contractor responsible for project implementation. A groundbreaking ceremony took place on April 27, 2012 and the project was completed on October 3, 2012.

However, as of May 2025, the completed project had not been officially accepted by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

📋 Staff Comments

In the database of Chinese loan commitments that SAIS-CARI released in July 2020, it records the face value of this loan as $60 million. AidData relies on the face value that the Office of the President reported in the Journal Officiel de la République Démocratique du Congo.
This project is also known as the N’Djili Airport Runway Refurbishment Project. The French project title is La réhabilitation de la piste de l’Aéroport International de N’djili. The Chinese project title is 金沙萨恩吉利国际机场跑道改造项目 or 恩吉利国际机场跑道 or 恩吉利机场跑道修复工程举.
Evidence of collateralization is provided via https://rucforsk.ruc.dk/ws/portalfiles/portal/57116566/Malm_2016_PhD_dissertation.pdf4. A Public Debt Audit published by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2013 identifies the grant element of the loan as 35.15%.

📚 Sources & References

http://cd.mofcom.gov.cn/sys/print.shtml?/jmxw/201210/20121008389102
Projets
金沙萨恩吉利国际机场新跑道将于近期投入使用
刚果(金)金沙萨恩吉利机场跑道及航站楼修复项目
RAPPORT ANNUEL 2012
Journal Officiel
Rapport Annuel 2012
中国能建尼泊尔上崔树里3A水电站
Aéro-N’Djili : la nouvelle Tour de contrôle opérationnelle en avril 2014
Réhabilitation de la piste de l'Aéroport de N'djili.pdf
中国电力建设集团国际项目中国水电首个海外机场跑道…取得阶段成功.pdf
中国水电首个海外机场跑道不停航施工取得阶段成功
刚果（金）金沙萨国际机场跑道改造项目首层沥青铺设工程近期完工
N'djili Airport Runway
N'djili Airport Runway
AMP (China Only) From 28 March 2018
Journal Officiel - Banque des Données Juridiques - 2013, 5 ans au service de la reconstruction et de la modernisation: Projet de cooperation Sino-Congolais
When Chinese development finance met the IMF's public debt norm in DR Congo
CONGO (KINSHASA): (Pics) N'djili Airport Runway 06/24 rehabilitation nearing completion.
FOCUS-BRI Country Report Framing Opportunities for Conservation by Understanding Safeguards in the Belt and Road Initiative: Democratic Republic of the Congo, 60 millions USD engloutis pour une piste imaginaire à l’aéroport de N’djili
Le » Go-pass » a généré 138,091 millions USD, selon le ministre Mazenga 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 Democratic Republic of Congo

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