The Sudanese government will make €2.13bn ($2.44bn) over a 20-year period from a deal to transfer Port Sudan’s container terminal to Filipino port operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) to expand port capacity, a government official has said.
Ali Ahmed Abdelrahim, head of a technical committee in charge of contracting the project, said the deal aims to more than triple capacity at Port Sudan’s South Port Container Terminal, reported Reuters.
The 20-year contract will see ICTSI operate, manage and develop the port, the company said last month, with the handover expected to be completed by the end of March.
Sudan has received €410m from ICTSI out of a €530m down payment, Mr Abdelrahim said.
Earlier this month, Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir said the deal was being reviewed to ensure it was fair following a protest strike by workers. The workers went on strike against the “privatisation” of the port, managed by the government-controlled Sea Ports Corporation, who signed the concession deal with ICTSI subsidiary ICTSI Middle East DMCC on 3 January.
ICTSI said in a statement sent to Reuters last month that local stakeholders’ concerns were being addressed by Sudan Port Corporation and the Government of Sudan.
