As a realisation of their partnership, Belgium and Guinea launched a capacity building program in the Guinean port sector in 2016. In this program, PAI and APEC are technical partners of the Belgian Agency for Development Cooperation (Enabel).
This week, our experts Stefan Cassimon and Nele Voorspoels are visiting Conakry and Kamsar. The exploratory visit aims to identify the possibilities for developing the mining port of Kamsar, where ANAIM (l’Agence Nationale des Infrastructures Minières) acts as the port authority. Port of Kamsar specialises in the handling of bauxite, an ore used in aluminium production. Guinea is the country with the highest amount of bauxite reserves worldwide!
To prepare the port for an increase in activities, PAI will create a vision and roadmap for the port’s future development. In collaboration with APEC, PAI will define how to strengthen the capacities of ANAIM. Both aspects will determine the extent to which PAI-APEC and Enabel will assist ANAIM in their role as a port authority in the future.
As the first part of their mission, port experts Stefan and Nele have had several meetings with authorities in Conakry, to better understand the local context in which the port of Kamsar is operating. They organised an interactive workshop with several employees of ANAIM as well. The gathering resulted in a dynamic discussion about the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the mining port.
This week, the visit continues in Kamsar. Stefan and Nele will assess the port area and participate in discussions with companies and stakeholders active in and around the port.