Infrastructure: sectors of opportunity
Air transport
The 12 main airports of the island are managed by ADEMA (Airports of Madagascar) whose ADP Management (Airport of Paris) is shareholder to a total value of 33%. The attribution of deputy management of the international airport of Antananarivo is currently on study.
In addition to the national company Air Madagascar, one companie ensures the connection Madagascar-Europe, Air France. The domestic flights are ensured by Air Madagascar only. For the peak season this year 2003, 7 flights are scheduled weekly (4 flights on Air France, 3 on Air Madagascar).
Rail transport
The Malagasy rail network possesses 870km road, but the obsolescence of the fixed infrastructures and the material is an obstacle for the development of the traffic. The evolution of the traffic has been falling for ten years. The number of travellers passed from nearly 2 million in 1990 to less than 100 000 in 2000 and the tonnage of the transported goods decreased by 90%, passing over the same period from 597.000 to 54.000 tons.
The northern network was allotted in concession to COMAZAR Group in 1997. The created local company, MADARAIL is supposed to exploit the Northern network for 25 years with an investment program (road and material) estimated at 35 M USD, to which the European Investment Bank will take a significant share. The concession contract will be finalized in second half-year period 2003.
The southern network will be subjected to a significant rehabilitation (in particular Manakara-Fianarantsoa) through the World Bank finance. The USAID recently intervened for reparation of cyclonic damages.
Road transport
Madagascar’s road system is 25,500 kilometres long and consists of 5,500 kilometres of asphalted roads and 20,000 kilometres of secondary roads. One of the present government’s main priorities is the road construction.
Road transport is very fluid on the main axes. There exists an important fleet of private merchandise haulers and passengers transporters.
Sector potentialities and opportunities
Madagascar’s economic future will essentially depend on the transport sector. The current President of Madagascar has emphasized on several occasions that a better transport system will contribute to the development of the country. To this effect, the government has established the following objectives:
- The decentralization of construction and maintenance work;
- The maintenance of a 15,000 kilometres priority network linking the major economic regions.
It is obvious that rapid development cannot be achieved if certain regions of the island remain isolated.