U.S. INVESTMENT IN CAMEROON: MAJOR PROGRESS IN 2006

UNCLAS YAOUNDE 000128 SIPDIS DEPT ALSO FOR AF/C, EB DEPT PLEASE PASS USTR DAKAR FOR REGIONAL FCS OFFICER LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA ACTION OFFICERS EUCOM FOR J5-A AFRICA DIVISION AND POLAD YATES SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EINV ETRD EMIN ECON KCOR EAIR EPET CM SUBJECT: U.S. INVESTMENT IN CAMEROON: MAJOR PROGRESS IN 2006 REF: A. Yaounde 90 ¶B. 06 Yaounde 1331 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (U) 2006 was an excellent year for U.S.-Cameroon commercial relations, and we enter 2007 with literally billions of dollars of pending U.S. investment on the table. In February we signed an Open Skies agreement; Geovic and Hydromine, two firms with large multi-year mining projects, made important progress; investors planning to build a Marriott hotel in Douala secured land, capital and OPIC backing; and Transnational Automotive Group launched urban bus service in Yaounde and intercity bus service between Yaounde and Douala. Two Embassy-organized trade missions produced numerous deals, not only to purchase U.S. goods but also to export Cameroonian products under AGOA. In addition to bureaucratic hurdles, corruption-induced delays and the failure to complete the privatization of CAMAIR, the greatest commercial disappointment was the inability of Volvo Aero Leasing to get a repossession order enforced (Ref B). This message summarizes the state of play on the major ongoing commercial and investment deals involving U.S. firms in Cameroon. Despite the urgent need for further improvements in the investment climate here, the ongoing American experience shows that a trade- and investment-driven development strategy is possible and is working in a country that is among the least dependent on aid flows in all of Africa. End Summary. -------------- Geovic -------------- ¶2. (U) With respect to Geovic's cobalt mining concession in the East province, difficulties in reaching agreement with the local shareholders early in 2006 were resolved by year's end. SNI, the national investment corporation, stepped in to take a 20 percent share and to serve as the sole representative for the Cameroonian shareholders (who hold a further 19.5 percent),a development that has streamlined negotiations and progress toward starting operations. ¶3. (U) Shares in Geovic Mining began trading on the Toronto Minerals Exchange, with some USD 12 million in capital already raised. Geovic Cameroon General Manager Gary Morris told Ambassador Marquardt December 7 that construction should start in late 2007 with cobalt mining commencing in early 2009. -------------- Hydromine -------------- ¶4. (U) Hydromine is working on a package of infrastructure, mining and petroleum projects valued at over USD 2 billion (and potentially worth up to 6 billion). In January, Hydromine signed a BOT agreement for the construction of a rail line (Edea-Kribi) and a deep water port at Grand Batanga (south of Kribi),the first BOT ever signed in Cameroon. Hydromine has also secured agreement from major partners in India, Dubai, and Japan to participate in the development of proven bauxite reserves at Ngoundal and Minim-Martap in the Adamoua province, and asked the GRC to sign its mining concession agreement. Since then, Hydromine has decided to pursue a regional oil refinery and is looking at several petroleum exploration blocks. -------------- Marriott -------------- ¶5. (U) 2006 saw tremendous progress in the USD 44 million Marriott hotel project in Douala. Land and capital was secured, including USD 10 million in OPIC investment. Ground-breaking is slated for early 2007. As the first privately-financed new building to go up in Douala in decades, this project will send a strong positive signal to other potential investors about current growth potential here. -------------- AES-Sonel -------------- ¶6. (U) In December, U.S. owned AES-SONEL, the only power supplier in Cameroon, secured a 240 million euro loan package to expand Cameroon's power grid, an expansion that will also enable AES-SONEL to sell excess electricity to Nigeria. The loan package, which involved many lenders including the IFC, European Investment Bank, the African Development Bank, and the Central African Development Bank, is the largest ever for a privatization in Africa. In addition to its obvious importance to the energy sector, AES-SONEL is leading a corporate governance group along with cellular providers MTN and Orange, Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline operator COTCO, and others. AES-SONEL has instituted strict codes of conduct with its workers and has begun promoting good governance to its contractors and customers. -------------- Caterpillar -------------- ¶7. (U) In March we signed a USD 180,152 USTDA grant with SHO Tractafric Cameroun to conduct a feasibility study for heavy equipment leasing in Cameroon and neighboring countries, specifically Caterpillar equipment for road construction and repair. The study showed that the market potential was greater than first expected. The IFC, OPIC and Ex-Im bank are all expected to be involved. Ex-Im in particular is reportedly very enthusiastic about the project because Caterpillar's involvement will ensure maintenance and repair, lack of which tends to lead small operators to default on loans for heavy equipment. The firm plans a late spring launch. -------------- Kent Atlantic -------------- ¶8. (U) In 2006 Ex-Im bank granted a USD 2.4 million loan to Kent Atlantic this firm to import garment manufacturing equipment from her U.S. partner (G-S Solutions). This is the best example of similar successes with firms seeking to take advantage of AGOA where the Embassy helped local companies find production equipment in the U.S. that will be used to produce AGOA-eligible exports. -------------- Transnational Automotive Group (TAUG) -------------- ¶9. (U) 2006's most visible U.S. commercial success was the September launch of "Le Bus," which brought urban bus service back to Yaounde after a 16 year absence. With an initial tranche of 28 busses (from China),and 30 more arriving each month for the next two years, Transnational Automotive Group is becoming one of Cameroon's most important employers. (Note: Each bus accounts for at least 8 jobs.) Their trademark light blue busses are becoming an ever more prominent feature on the urban landscape here. ¶10. (U) In late November TAUG's sister project "Le Car" began inter-city coach service between Yaounde and Douala. Transnational will devote 80 coaches to this segment of its business and expand its urban transport service to Douala, with a total of 400 busses (3500-4000 employees.) OPIC will be involved with USD 9-10 million and is hoping to use TAUG's Cameroon project as a template for investment elsewhere. (Note: TAUG secured its equity financing first and then sought OPIC assistance for debt financing. End Note) There have been delays in getting the GRC to deliver on promises made to TAUG, but the Prime Minister is fully engaged and continues to help resolve problems. -------------- TRADE AND INVESTMENT FORUM -------------- ¶11. (U) In April 2006, our all-LES commercial team took some 50 Cameroonian businessmen and women to Washington, D.C. for a week-long trade and investment forum, designed to match Cameroonian firms with U.S. suppliers and clients and to familiarize the Cameroonian participants with OPIC, EX-IM and Department of Commerce programs. ¶12. (U) The most important deals emanating from this trip, the second of its type, were the Bonn Group Inc.'s USD 1 million purchase of medical supplies from Abbott Laboratory, and a USD 200,000 deal for Perseverance Globe Trotter to purchase equipment and material to produce artificial marble using the Tiffany Marble formula. In addition, the Embassy's Commercial Section and the Foreign Commercial Service in Abidjan prepared trade leads which resulted in a USD 3 million sale of four fishing boats from a supplier in Florida. -------------- Food and Technology Forum -------------- ¶13. (U) In October 2006, our commercial team took 70 participants from Cameroon and other countries in the sub-region for a Food and Technology Business Forum in Chicago. The food component of this trip was especially important for promoting AGOA related trade. ¶14. (U) Highlights from this event include: UNIMARCHE's purchase of 10 containers of hotel furniture and household equipment from David Bross and Co. (USD 500,000); an agreement between the Cameroonian Coffee Growers' Association UCCAO and a Washington, D.C. distributor, to export some 3,000 tons of coffee (ground and whole bean) to the U.S. in 2007; and the USD 200,000 purchase of Tiffany Marble formula by Essoka Ltd., the second Cameroonian firm planning to produce artificial marble in Cameroon. (Note: A third local firm is also interested in this activity.) -------------- Comings and Goings -------------- ¶15. (U) 2006 saw several shifts in ownership, particularly in the petroleum industry, with a number of firms re-evaluating their positions in the up- and downstream markets. Following the late 2005 sale of Shell's retail operation to Chevron-Texaco, Exxon-Mobil elected in late fall to exit the Cameroon market, selling its downstream assets to the Libyan firm TAMOIL (Ref A.). ¶16. (SBU) In late August, Houston-based Noble Energy teamed with the Malaysian parastatal Petronas to acquire an offshore block (from Conoco-Philips) that abuts Noble's operations in Equatorial Guinea. Noble will invest upwards of USD 25 million for each of three drilling operations prospecting for gas condensate and petroleum. Conoco-Philips gave up the block after concluding the potential returns were not big enough for its operations. For its part, Noble sees synergies with its adjacent block in Equatorial Guinean waters. ¶17. (U) Wackenhut, which provides security services to a number of firms and diplomatic missions, including ours, sold its assets to Group 4, a transition that sparked some labor unrest. -------------- A few disappointments -------------- ¶18. (U) Corruption, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and difficulties in disciplining Cameroonian investment partners comprised the sobering counterpoint to our many commercial successes in 2006. Enthusiasm for U.S. investment is not enough to overcome structural and deliberate obstacles. Persistent and high-level Embassy engagement was instrumental in making progress and resolving problems with Geovic, Hydromine, Marriott and TAUG. ¶19. (U) Sadly, all the pressure we could bring to bear was not sufficient to counter corruption that complicated, delayed and scuttled some business ventures. An imperfect tender process that disqualified a U.S. bidder was one factor delaying the privatization of Cameroon's debt-ridden airline CAMAIR, previously envisioned for summer 2006; however, this process will be revisited (transparently) in 2007 and the U.S. bidder, among others, may have a second chance. Even those enjoying commercial successes are continually subject to petty corruption and avoidable bureaucratic hassles and as a result, some are re-evaluating decisions to expand and/or remain. Finally, at least one U.S. firm went home empty-handed and with holes in its pockets. As reported in Ref. B, Volvo Aero Leasing was forced to sell an aircraft at a USD 1 million loss, after it could not get a repossession order in its favor enforced. -------------- 2007 Off to a Good Start -------------- ¶20. (SBU) On January 24, 2007 Cisco Systems signed a multi-faceted Memorandum of Understanding with the GRC to develop Cameroon's nascent information technology (IT) infrastructure, to develop its human capital in the IT field, and integrate IT solutions into all facets of government, from health records to primary schools. Private estimates value the deal at USD 70 million in the early stages, with a potential to reach USD 200 million. This landmark deal is instrumental for Cameroon's continued development and modernization and is yet another demonstration of Cameroon's apparent strategic decision for closer engagement with the U.S. (septel). MARQUARDT