Press Releases

January 26, 2010

Summary of Grant Aid Agreements for the Third Quarter of 2009

1. During the third quarter of fiscal 2009 spanning October to December, JICA (President Sadako Ogata) signed a total of 40 grant agreements. A complete list is provided in the Appendix [1]. Key details are provided below for one of the major projects.
2. During the long years of civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, its roads went unmaintained and unmanaged. Erosion due to the fierce tropical rains and general wear of major roads have made transportation difficult and led to serious traffic congestion, diminishing the capacity of the capital Kinshasa to function. Of five critical areas noted in his inaugural address, President Kabila emphasized infrastructure as the top priority, and the nation’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers list transportation and traffic support as a priority issue for macroeconomic stabilization and growth.
To support this critical area, JICA will implement a grant aid project titled “the project for rehabilitation and modernization of Poids Lourds Avenue of Kinshasa” funded with 1.751 billion yen. The project's objectives include widening and repaving the Avenue des Poids Lourds in Kinshasa as well as repairing the drainage system for the road. The Avenue des Poids Lourds is vital for the nation’s economic rehabilitation. Not only does it function as a main thoroughfare between the former provinces of Bas-Congo in the west and Bandundu in the east, it also joins the airport with Kinshasa and serves as an industrial road for transportation and manufacturing companies located along its route. The long years of dilapidation have left the Avenue des Poids Lourds nearly impassable particularly in the rainy season, and vehicles crossing the road to avoid holes often paralyzes traffic. Further contributing to the traffic congestion is the chaotic mixture of automobiles, pedestrians and manually drawn carts competing for space while trying to avoid the many traffic accidents.

It is expected that the improvements to Kinshasa’s road network through this project will spread peace among the citizens, contributing to social stabilization, economic vitalization and restoration of the functions of the capital.

As the first major bilateral project between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Japan since the end of the civil war, this project is also considered an important first step toward further cooperation.