| Société Commerciale des Transports et des Ports | |
| Type: | Public |
| Hq Location City: | Boulevard du 30 Juin, Gombe, Kinshasa |
| Hq Location Country: | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
The Société Commerciale des Transports et des Ports (abbreviated as SCTP), formerly known as the Office d'Exploitation des Transports Coloniaux 1935–1959,[1] [2] then Office d'Exploitation des Transports au Congo 1960–1970,[3] and Office National des Transports 1971–2011,[4] is a state-owned enterprise headquartered in Kinshasa. The company operates railways, ports, and inland barge transport in the northern and western regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, along the Congo River. Established in 1935, its main office is strategically situated on Boulevard Du 30 Juin in the Gombe commune of Kinshasa.[5] [6]
The SCTP, operating under the general regulations applicable to state-owned companies and decree-law number 0051 of 17 November 1995 governing its establishment and statutes, is structured in compliance with legal and regulatory provisions.[7] Oversight of the SCTP's organic structures is jointly carried out by the Ministry of Transport and Communication in conjunction with the Ministry of Portfolio.
These structures include:
The Office d'Exploitation des Transports Coloniaux (OTRACO), colloquially known as the "Colonial Transport Agency", was instituted by the Belgian government on 20 April 1935.[8] Its foundational mandate was the centralization and management of transportation services, encompassing the handling, transshipment, and related operations within the Belgian Congo and the territories of Ruanda-Urundi. OTRACO's establishment was not merely a bureaucratic decision but a strategic move by the colonial administration to consolidate control over the vital transportation networks crucial for economic exploitation and administrative control of the vast territories.
The first railway company subsumed under OTRACO was the government-owned Société de Chemin de Fer du Mayumbe, which had previously been administered by the Régie du Chemin de Fer du Mayumbe. This management transfer was formalized through a Royal Decree (Arrêté Royal) on 17 July 1935, with retroactive effect from 31 December 1934. A subsequent decree issued by the Minister of the Colonies on 23 November 1935, further delineated OTRACO's responsibilities and authority in overseeing the Société de Chemin de Fer du Mayumbe, which effectively placed it under the jurisdiction of the Administrator-General of the Colonies.
On 16 March 1936, the colonial government, through an accord between its Minister of the Colonies and the Compagnie du Chemin de Fer du Congo (CCFC), assumed full ownership of the railway line, effectively nationalizing it by exchanging colonial government bonds with a nominal value of 500 francs and an interest rate of 4 percent per annum for the outstanding shares. On 22 June 1936, the company further expanded its reach by taking over the assets and liabilities of the Union Nationale des Transports Fluviaux (Unatra), a company that owned a substantial fleet of riverboats, tugboats, and barges. This fleet operated extensive river transport services across the Belgian Congo, including a 1,723-kilometer route from Léopoldville (now Kinshasa) to Stanleyville (now Kisangani). The colonial government guaranteed substantial annual payments to Unatra for a period of 40 years, ensuring the amortization of the company's capital while OTRACO took over operational control. This expansion was formalized by a Royal Decree on 31 July 1936, designating OTRACO as the operating company for Unatra as of 1 September 1936. By a ministerial decree on 30 September 1936, the colony substituted OTRACO for CCFC in executing the provisions of the conventions of 3 September 1929 and 29 December 1931, respectively, between the railroad and the Société pour la Manutention dans les Ports du Congo, which managed the handling, discharge, and transshipment of freight at the port of Matadi, and the Compagnie Industrielle et de Transport au Stanley-Pool (CITAS), which held a similar concession in the port of Léopoldville.
Following the country's independence in the 1960s, the entity was rebranded as the Office d'Exploitation des Transports au Congo (OTRACO).[9] Retaining the structure and operational framework, OTRACO became integral to the Congolese economy and saw the appointment of Jacques Mbilo as the first Congolese president of the management board in 1961. The company managed a vast transportation network that included the ports of Banana, Boma, Matadi, and Kinshasa; the railroad linking Kinshasa to N'Djili International Airport; river transport on the Congo and Kasai rivers; several inland river ports; a road transport company in Kivu Province; and the Kongo Central railroads from Matadi to Kinshasa and Boma to Tshela. OTRACO emerged as the largest employer in the country and administered multiple training schools for employees in the transportation sector.In the late 1960s, OTRACO confronted increasing competition and logistical challenges as the government endeavored to modernize and expand the transportation infrastructure. By 1965, OTRACO's river fleet had grown to encompass 158 powerboats and 874 barges, with a total capacity of 286,960 tons. To meet the demands of the expanding economy, the company invested in more powerful and efficient vessels in mid-1969, including three mail boats, three passenger barges, and 16 tank barges with a capacity of 450 metric tons for palm oil. Despite these expansions, OTRACO faced significant logistical challenges, particularly the necessity to develop an all-rail route from Katanga to Matadi. The existing transportation network, reliant on transshipments, was susceptible to disruptions, including attacks by guerrilla groups in neighboring countries. To address these vulnerabilities, the government commissioned feasibility studies for a new railroad link to close the 440-mile gap between Port-Francqui (now Ilebo) and Kinshasa. The proposed link was estimated to require an investment of approximately $150 million in foreign exchange and an equivalent amount in local currency.
In 1971, OTRACO was restructured and rebranded as the Office National des Transports (ONATRA).[10] In 1973, ONATRA transported a record high of 410,871 passengers.[11] However, its monopoly was removed in 1977, allowing private entities to enter the market as shipowners. This deregulation led to a decline in passenger traffic, with only 121,779 passengers transported in 1982. In April 1991, ONATRA was restructured into a group comprising three components: Holding, OTP (Office de transport et de port), and OCN (Office de Chantier Naval). Following a decision by the transitional government of Zaire, Holding ONATRA was dissolved with its groups to form ONATRA as a single entity before 1991. The Second Congo War further impeded traffic along the Congo River beyond Mbandaka, resulting in a cessation of operations.[12] [13] Challenges related to port congestion at Matadi in July 2005 were compounded by outdated equipment and the accumulation of over 4,000 containers at the port.[14] [15] Anatole Kikwa Mwata Mukambu, the deputy commercial director of ONATRA in Matadi, characterized this congestion as "artificial", indicating that it was not solely attributed to logistical inefficiencies but was also influenced by external factors. Introduction of new machinery and resolutions implemented towards the end of the year ultimately alleviated the port's congestion issues.In June 2006, the company's Management Committee was suspended by Minister of Transport and Communications, Eva Mwakasa, who alleged that the committee had not addressed their demands, particularly concerning wage increases and housing.[16] However, Minister of Portfolio Célestin Vunabandi Kanyamihigo opposed this suspension, arguing that the appointment or dismissal of a management committee should be determined by a government decision or through consultations between the technical and administrative supervision ministries.[17] The suspension resulted in a significant schism among ONATRA's staff, with two factions emerging: one in favor of the new committee appointed by Mwakasa, accusing the former management of mismanagement and embezzlement, and another opposing the changes.[18] In July 2006, ONATRA was significantly affected by a strike, during which its agents ceased work as a Presidential Decree conferred exclusive authority to the Office des Douanes et Accises (OFIDA) to establish and collect revenues from imports at the port of Matadi.[19] This effectively made OFIDA the sole point of contact for importers and exporters, assuming the responsibility for collecting taxes and other fees previously managed by ONATRA and other public services at the port. Consequently, ONATRA was relegated to receiving only retrocessions for their operational expenses. Operations resumed at the port of Matadi after more than a week of work stoppage, with approximately three thousand tons of goods and thirty-five vehicles cleared from congestion.[20]
In August 2006, ONATRA achieved a significant breakthrough as a boat docked at its public port in Kisangani for the first time in a decade, arriving from Kinshasa.[21] This vessel marked the revival of traffic between the Tshopo Province and Kinshasa, carrying about fifty passengers and 2,000 tons of essential goods. Despite challenges related to insufficient buoyage and dredging, the resumption of this route was considered a crucial step in revitalizing regional economic activity, with ONATRA's Management Committee encouraging economic operators from Tshopo Province and neighboring regions to capitalize on this renewed activity to bolster the local economy.
In 2010, ONATRA was transformed into a limited liability joint-stock company and renamed Société Commerciale des Transports et des Ports. The new statutes were registered on 24 December 2010.[22]
The network includes:
On July 25, 2022, a conflagration of "unknown origin" beset a section of the edifice housing the SCTP's principal offices. While the exact cause of the fire remains enigmatic, reports from Ouragan suggest that the inferno erupted at 1:00 a.m. Actualite reported that the fire ravaged the windows and "unrecognizable sections of the imposing building."[23] A contingent of firefighters quelled the flames, while police officers were deployed on the ground to cordon off the disaster scene.