Cameroonian Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute (3rd R, front) visits the construction site of a China-funded water plant in Yaounde, capital of Cameroon, Aug. 7, 2019. Cameroonian Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute denounced here Wednesday the "debt trap" allegation against Chinese loans by some western media outlets. "Cameroon is a sovereign country ... It is no other person's business. We do exactly what we have to do to develop our country," Ngute told Xinhua while visiting the construction site of a China-funded water plant. The project, located on the outskirts of Cameroon's capital Yaounde, was launched in late 2016 and is expected to be completed in late 2019. (Photo by Jean Pierre Kepseu/Xinhua)
YAOUNDE, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cameroonian Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute denounced here Wednesday the "debt trap" allegation against Chinese loans by some western media outlets.
"Cameroon is a sovereign country ... It is no other person's business. We do exactly what we have to do to develop our country," Ngute told Xinhua while visiting the construction site of a China-funded water plant.
"We are not going to listen to all kinds of snide remarks by people who think they know better. We have a country we have to develop and that is our responsibility. We take it seriously," he added.
The project, located on the outskirts of Cameroon's capital Yaounde, was launched in late 2016 and is expected to be completed in late 2019.
Once put into service, the plant, with a capacity of 300,000 cubic meters of water per day, will generate enough clean drinking water from the 600-km-long Sanaga River and meet the demand of 2.5 million people in the capital and others in surrounding areas.
"This is one of the most important projects Cameroon is carrying out right now," Ngute said.
"This will significantly reduce, if not stop, the problem of insufficient water in the capital city Yaounde. Our citizens will be able to drink clean water that will be constantly supplied," said Cameroon's Minister of Water and Energy Gaston Eloundou Essomba, who accompanied Ngute during the visit.
