The Société Commerciale des Transports et des Ports (contracted as SCTP), formerly known as the Office d'Exploitation des Transports Coloniaux 1935–1959, then Office d'Exploitation des Transports au Congo 1960–1970, and Office National des Transports 1971–2011, is a state-owned enterprise headquartered in Kinshasa. The SCTP 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.
Functionality and organization 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. 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:
Board of Directors Chaired by a General Delegate President and assisted by the Deputy General Delegate President, this body is responsible for guiding the overall policy of the SCTP. Management Committee This committee oversees day-to-day operations and comprises the President-Delegate-General, the Deputy Delegate-General, and two Administrators (internal directors and a staff representative). General Management Comprising five members, including four administrators appointed by presidential decree and a staff representative, the general management is headed by a managing director. Its mandate is to ensure the company's operations, service, and execution of the general policy determined by the management committee. In addition to the director and staff constituting the management's staff service, the management of the SCTP is structured around 11 departments divided into five operational departments and six logistical or non-operational support departments. Operational departments: These departments are revenue-generating and include: Maritime Ports Department (Département des ports maritimes): responsible for handling operations in the ports of Matadi, Boma, and Banana, as well as navigation on the Congo River. Kinshasa Port Department (Département du port de Kinshasa): managing the port of Kinshasa and the flammable beach of Kingabwa, handling goods, logs, and sawn timber. Located on the left bank of the Congo River at the Pool Malebo, the port operates in shifts similar to the first department. Railway Department (Département de chemin de fer): operating the Matadi-Kinshasa Railway line and urban rail transport in Kinshasa. Department of Ports and River Transport (Département des ports et transports fluviaux): responsible for transport on the river (Kinshasa-Kisangani), on the Kasaï (Kinshasa-Ilebo), on their tributaries, and the crossing from Kinshasa-Brazzaville to Ngobila Beach. Shipyard Department (Département de chantier naval): overseeing the 3 shipyards (Ndolo in Kinshasa; Boma; Boera in Mbandaka), including maintenance, careening, repair of boats, and manufacturing of new river units. Logistical or non-operational support departments: These departments include: Technical Department (Département technique): managing all technical sectors of operational entities. Human Resources Department (Département des ressources humaines): responsible for administrative management and staff training. General Services Department (Département des services généraux): overseeing real estate, construction, hospitals, social affairs, agro-food establishments, and more. Financial Department (Département financier): managing the accounting and financial assets of SCTP. Department of Organization and General Studies (Département de l'organisation et étudesgénérales): leading change in the company, including restructuring and the development of the company's development plan. Internal Audit Department (Département de l'audit interne): ensuring prior and posteriori control, which involves accounting and financial audit, audit of functions, and operation of the general management staff, including commercial, marketing, legal, police, and central control management structures.
History
Colonial era and post-independence
Office d'Exploitation des Transports Coloniaux The Office d'Exploitation des Transports Coloniaux (OTRACO) was instituted by the Belgian government on 20 April 1935. 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.
Expansion and consolidation 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.
From Office d'Exploitation des Transports au Congo to Office National des Transports Following the country's independence in the 1960s, the entity was rebranded as the Office d'Exploitation des Transports au Congo (OTRACO). 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). In 1973, ONATRA transported a record high of 410,871 passengers. 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. As of 1982, ONATRA maintained a substantial operational fleet comprising 280 barges, 255 light barges, 85 tugboats, and 62 vessels designated for passenger service. In April 1991, ONATRA was restructured into a conglomerate comprising three components: Holding, OTP (Office de Transport et de Port), and OCN (Office de Chantier Naval). Following a decision by Zaire's transitional government, Holding ONATRA was dissolved, with its groups reformed into a singular ONATRA entity prior to 1991. The Second Congo War further impeded traffic along the Congo River beyond Mbandaka, resulting in a cessation of operations. 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. 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.