A new Country Strategy Paper for Comoros prioritizes the development of sustainable and quality basic infrastructure in the transport and energy sectors. The African Development Bank (AfDB) developed this strategy for Comoros and it spans the period 2021-2025.

The main objective of the new country strategy is to reduce fragility by strengthening the country’s resilience capacities. It revealed that Comoros has a low level of resilience and remains fragile to major economic transformation and developmental challenges. Some of these include social, peacebuilding, and state-building constraints.

However, it also highlighted the improved performance achieved since 2014 in promoting inclusive policies and economic recovery in 2016.

The role of AfDB in the Country Strategy Paper

The African Development Bank will invest in road transport and production, and the transmission and distribution of electricity. The Bank will focus its actions on renewable energies to strengthen the economic competitiveness and socio-economic development of Comoros.

Support for the transport sector will take the form of investment projects in the renovation of the deteriorating road network. The aim is to reduce the cost of transport and open up rural communities. Also, the Bank will implement Reform support programs to preserve or rehabilitate the existing road heritage, and ensure its sustainability through preventive maintenance. The aim of these reforms is to make the Road Fund more effective.

Main targets in the transport sector

By 2025, there should be a 25% increase in trade in the intervention areas; and a 15% reduction in vehicle operating cost per kilometre. Also, a 25-minute reduction in the time it takes to transport goods by truck to the project intervention area is among the targets. Likewise, by 2025, there should be a 25% reduction in the cost of monthly vehicle maintenance;

For maritime and airport transport, the cost of trans-shipment of a 20-foot container is expected to drop by at least 30% by 2030. Also, the investment is expected to result in an increase of at least 20% in the reception capacities of the country’s airports.

Energy sector

In the energy sector, the interventions of the African Development Bank will focus on increasing the production and distribution of cleaner and cheaper energies. The focus will be on renewable energies.

The Bank pledges its continuous support for the energy sector reforms to improve its overall governance and the quality of its services. It will target in particular the national electricity company (SONELEC) to improve its commercial performance and its financial management. This will make it more efficient, and reduce its technical losses. It will also enable it to be able to carry out the maintenance of its production units.

The main objectives of this commitment, by 2025, are to reduce the rate of technical losses from 30% in 2020 to 20% in 2025. It also aimed at increasing the billing rate from 68% to 80% over the same period.

About Comoros

The Union of Comoros is an archipelago of 2,236 square kilometres made up of three islands. It is located off the coast of East Africa, with a population of approximately 800,000 inhabitants. The country has become, since July 1, 2019, a middle-income, lower-class country. It has an estimated Gross Domestic Product per capita of US$1,478.4 as of 2019.