Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB) recently inaugurated its 3rd processing unit in the presence of the Ministry of Forest Economy (MEF), Republic of Congo, Her Excellency Mrs Rosalie Matondo.

CIB continues to remain committed to maximising the value addition at source and supporting the local economy through job creation in the industry and ecological and social programmes. The Enyelle timber processing unit is a giant leap forward with its state-of-the-art manufacturing line, making it one of the most modern processing units in the Republic of Congo and West Africa.

Built on an area of 46,000 m2, the first phase of the processing line will produce around 1,500 M3 of finished products per month. The automated line boasts modern equipment, including a customised opticut machine which guarantees the maximum recovery of defect-free products. The project's second phase is expected to finish by the first quarter of 2022, scaling up the monthly production to 2,500 M3. The processing unit is supported by additional infrastructure, which includes:

1. Raw material storage yard with a final capacity of 20,000 M3
2. Drying yard for storage and air-drying
3. State of the art blade set-up and repair workshop
4. Industrial maintenance and compressed air production workshop. 

As a part of our establishment in Enyellé, we carried out the construction of multiple other structures and services.

1. An administrative building with 11 offices
2. A warehouse for stocking essential spare parts
3. Fuel station
4. Two workshops for light motor vehicle, heavy motor vehicle and yellow machines 
5. Seventy-five houses for our employees which will be scaled up to 125 in coming years. 

Socio-Economic Development

Our operations can't run in isolation, and we strive to create mutual value for others who live in and around our forest management units. Since the start of the lease of the concession of Mimbelli Ibenga, CIB has contributed to the improvement of the socio-economic landscape of the population living in the concession. The Mimbelli Ibenga concession project has created 150 permanent jobs and more than a hundred indirect jobs through our sub-contractors. We expect to have around 200 full-time employees and about 150 indirect jobs at total industrial capacity. A team of six people are responsible for full-time activities related to socio-economic development and the preservation of the rights of local populations.

Healthcare

We partner with Order of Malta, an NGO and the State of the Republic of Congo, who is running the integrated health centre of Enyelle. In the framework of this partnership, we are contributing 15 million CFA francs to the renovation of this public health centre in 2021. Our commitment also includes donating medicines and pharmaceuticals to the three Integrated Health Centers (Enyele, Boyellé, and Bolomo), with an annual budget of 5,000,000 CFA francs.

We launched several awareness campaigns focused on common issues such as the prevention of water-borne diseases and supply of sanitation kits, and health issues associated with open defecation and provision of material support for the construction of several dozen improved latrines.

City Infrastructure

• Equipment supplied for the extension of the city's electricity network, in addition to a donation of 1,500 litres of diesel monthly.
• Rehabilitation of the Enyellé water distribution network and construction of water storage tower.
• Opening road of village Berandzokou leading to Highway number 2, along with the annual maintenance plan of city road network in Enyelle, a route that spans approximately 9,000 kilometres.
• In 2019 we built a high-school of six classrooms, enabling the city to offer secondary education.
• As a part Olam Healthy Living microproject, we built a water well at Wandza to provide safe drinking water to approximately 400 people.

National Highway Access

In partnership with the state of the Republic of Congo, we have created the National Highway that connects the department of Ouesso to the department of Likouala. This road network helps numerous villages that were earlier isolated and had no practical means for receiving social, healthcare, or other support. The road network has allowed public transport to reach the capital of the department of Likouala and increase commercial activities. The highway has an international significance as this is a part of the CEMAC corridor.

In addition to these commitments, the project has also supported:

• Houses construction for the head of the forest economy brigade of Enyellé and guest house for the employees of Ministry of Forest Economy.
• Renovation of the Ministry of Forests office in Enyelle.
• Creation of an anti-poaching unit, with a budget of more than 300 millions FCFA for the five first years