The Union Nationale des Transports Fluviaux (Unatra) was a government-controlled company that provided river transport services in the Belgian Congo between 1925 and 1936.
Before 1921 the Belgian government operated transport services on the Congo River, as did various private enterprises. In 1921 the government formed the state-owned company Sonatra (Sociéte Nationale des Transports Fluviaux au Congo) to manage its river transport services.[1][2] Sonatra was the successor to the Marine de Haut-Congo, which had launched its first steamer, the En Avant, on Ngaliema Bay on 3 December 1881. In March 1925 Sonatra merged with the transport operations of the private company Compagnie Industrielle et de Transports au Stanley Pool (Citas) to create Unatra (Union nationale des Transports fluviaux).[3] The government owned 70,000 shares in Unatra out of 120,000 total.[1]
Early yearsEdit
Coquilhatville
Bumba
Bandundu
Port-Francqui
class=notpageimage|
Locations in the Belgian Congo
The Minister of the Colonies, Henri Carton de Tournai, asked General Frederik-Valdemar Olsen to retire so he could take over management of Unatra.[4] Olsen took a vacation in Europe from 11 June to 8 December 1925, then took office as general manager of Unatra.[2] Olsen undertook various reforms to stop corruption, ensure schedules were met and improve financial management. He structured the organization into sectors based on Coquilhatville, Bumba, Bandundu and Port-Francqui. He had to struggle with local bureaucracy, and at one pointed offered his resignation to the ministry, which was refused.[2]
The company was governed by the "Cahier des charges" agreement of 12 March 1925 which obliged it to provide service on a fixed timetable on the Congo and Kasai River, and on the navigable tributaries of these rivers. Rates were subject to government approval, even when services might have to be provided at a loss, but the government would make up any deficit. Unatra would have a monopoly on transport of goods and personnel for the state. In 1928 the company was given permission to treat the approved rates as maximums and to offer lower rates so as to compete with private companies.[1]
Railways and navigable waterways in the Belgian Congo
During the Great Depression the market collapsed for products such as timber, cocoa, coffee, rubber, cotton, palm-oil, palm nuts, native rice and sesame. Effective 1 July 1931 the government ordered drastic cuts to the rates for transporting these products to make them more competitive. The cuts would last for a period of three months, renewable if needed. These applied to Manucongo (Société pour la manutention dans les ports du Congo), Mayumbe Railway Régie, Compagnie du chemin de fer du Congo, Union nationale des Transports fluviaux et Manutention Léo, Société des chemins de fer vicinaux du Congo [fr] and the Société des Messageries automobiles du Congo. The government would reimburse the affected companies for resulting losses.
No subsidy was offered to private companies that were not regulated by the government. This gave rise to the Oscar Chinn Case in which a private company operated by a British subject, was unable to compete and brought a claim against the Belgian government that went to the Permanent Court of International Justice. The claim was rejected. However, in October 1932 the government offered to make up losses incurred by private transport companies.[1] As of 1934 the government was still the majority shareholder, with 128.987 shares out of 243,000.[1]
SuccessionEdit
Otraco Office des Transports Coloniaux) was formed on 20 April 1935 as a public institution to promote economic reconstruction after the depression. It took over the port of Boma and the Mayumbe railway authority on 17 July 1935. On 1 June 1936 it acquired the Compagnie du chemin de fer du Congo, which ran the Matadi-Kinshasa railway line.[5] On 22 June 1936 Unatra agreed to transfer all of its assets to Otraco, effective 1 September 1936. At this time Unatra owned about 40,000 tons of river boats, barges and tugs. It operated 25 regular services, including the 1,723 kilometres (1,071 mi) line from Leopoldville to Stanleyville.[6]
In 1936 Frederik-Valdemar Olsen, former head of Unatra, was made managing director of Otraco.[2] Later, on 15 October 1937 Otraco acquired the Manuco (Société pour la manutention dans les ports du Congo), which operated the port of Matadi, followed by other ports and railways.[5]
Kamp, A.; Alsted, Niels (1 November 2011), "F.V. Olsen", Dansk Biografisk Leksikons (in Danish) (3 ed.), retrieved 2021-02-06
Magela Kindomba, Eric milord (2008), "II. La Presentation De L'onatra", Le bon fonctionnement des entreprises publiques comme facteur du développement, cas de l'office national des transport (ONATRA) (in French), Université de Kinshasa
Lederer, A. (1968), Biographie Belge d'Outre-Mer (in French), vol. VI, Académie Royale des Sciences d'Outre-Mer, pp. col. 783–790, retrieved 2021-01-28
Long, W. Rodney (1939), Transport Control Abroad, Trade Promotion Series, U.S., Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce
Oscar Chinn (U.K. v. Belg.), Permanent Court of International Justice, 12 December 1934, retrieved 2021-03-14
"Union National des Transports Fluviaux (Unatra)", Origins of Value, Yale School of Management, 2012, retrieved 2021-03-14
October 21, 2023
unatra, union, nationale, transports, fluviaux, government, controlled, company, that, provided, river, transport, services, belgian, congo, between, 1925, 1936, union, nationale, transports, fluviauxtrade, nameindustrytransportationfoundedmarch, 1925, 1925, b. The Union Nationale des Transports Fluviaux Unatra was a government controlled company that provided river transport services in the Belgian Congo between 1925 and 1936 Union Nationale des Transports FluviauxTrade nameUnatraIndustryTransportationFoundedMarch 12 1925 1925 03 12 in Belgian CongoDefunctSeptember 1 1936 1936 09 01 HeadquartersLeopoldville Belgian Congo Contents 1 Origins 2 Early years 3 Great Depression 4 Succession 5 Notes 6 SourcesOrigins EditBefore 1921 the Belgian government operated transport services on the Congo River as did various private enterprises In 1921 the government formed the state owned company Sonatra Societe Nationale des Transports Fluviaux au Congo to manage its river transport services 1 2 Sonatra was the successor to the Marine de Haut Congo which had launched its first steamer the En Avant on Ngaliema Bay on 3 December 1881 In March 1925 Sonatra merged with the transport operations of the private company Compagnie Industrielle et de Transports au Stanley Pool Citas to create Unatra Union nationale des Transports fluviaux 3 The government owned 70 000 shares in Unatra out of 120 000 total 1 Early years Edit nbsp nbsp Coquilhatville nbsp Bumba nbsp Bandundu nbsp Port Francquiclass notpageimage Locations in the Belgian Congo The Minister of the Colonies Henri Carton de Tournai asked General Frederik Valdemar Olsen to retire so he could take over management of Unatra 4 Olsen took a vacation in Europe from 11 June to 8 December 1925 then took office as general manager of Unatra 2 Olsen undertook various reforms to stop corruption ensure schedules were met and improve financial management He structured the organization into sectors based on Coquilhatville Bumba Bandundu and Port Francqui He had to struggle with local bureaucracy and at one pointed offered his resignation to the ministry which was refused 2 The company was governed by the Cahier des charges agreement of 12 March 1925 which obliged it to provide service on a fixed timetable on the Congo and Kasai River and on the navigable tributaries of these rivers Rates were subject to government approval even when services might have to be provided at a loss but the government would make up any deficit Unatra would have a monopoly on transport of goods and personnel for the state In 1928 the company was given permission to treat the approved rates as maximums and to offer lower rates so as to compete with private companies 1 In 1930 Olsen contracted sleeping sickness and had to leave Africa Olsen remained a director of Unatra and of C F L Compagnie du chemin de fer du Congo superieur aux Grands Lacs africains which provided transport services on the Lualaba River 2 Great Depression Edit nbsp Railways and navigable waterways in the Belgian CongoDuring the Great Depression the market collapsed for products such as timber cocoa coffee rubber cotton palm oil palm nuts native rice and sesame Effective 1 July 1931 the government ordered drastic cuts to the rates for transporting these products to make them more competitive The cuts would last for a period of three months renewable if needed These applied to Manucongo Societe pour la manutention dans les ports du Congo Mayumbe Railway Regie Compagnie du chemin de fer du Congo Union nationale des Transports fluviaux et Manutention Leo Societe des chemins de fer vicinaux du Congo fr and the Societe des Messageries automobiles du Congo The government would reimburse the affected companies for resulting losses No subsidy was offered to private companies that were not regulated by the government This gave rise to the Oscar Chinn Case in which a private company operated by a British subject was unable to compete and brought a claim against the Belgian government that went to the Permanent Court of International Justice The claim was rejected However in October 1932 the government offered to make up losses incurred by private transport companies 1 As of 1934 the government was still the majority shareholder with 128 987 shares out of 243 000 1 Succession EditOtraco Office des Transports Coloniaux was formed on 20 April 1935 as a public institution to promote economic reconstruction after the depression It took over the port of Boma and the Mayumbe railway authority on 17 July 1935 On 1 June 1936 it acquired the Compagnie du chemin de fer du Congo which ran the Matadi Kinshasa railway line 5 On 22 June 1936 Unatra agreed to transfer all of its assets to Otraco effective 1 September 1936 At this time Unatra owned about 40 000 tons of river boats barges and tugs It operated 25 regular services including the 1 723 kilometres 1 071 mi line from Leopoldville to Stanleyville 6 In 1936 Frederik Valdemar Olsen former head of Unatra was made managing director of Otraco 2 Later on 15 October 1937 Otraco acquired the Manuco Societe pour la manutention dans les ports du Congo which operated the port of Matadi followed by other ports and railways 5 Notes Edit a b c d e Oscar Chinn U K v Belg a b c d e Lederer 1968 Union National des Transports Yale Kamp amp Alsted 2011 a b Magela Kindomba 2008 Long 1939 p 65 Sources EditKamp A Alsted Niels 1 November 2011 F V Olsen Dansk Biografisk Leksikons in Danish 3 ed retrieved 2021 02 06 Magela Kindomba Eric milord 2008 II La Presentation De L onatra Le bon fonctionnement des entreprises publiques comme facteur du developpement cas de l office national des transport ONATRA in French Universite de Kinshasa Lederer A 1968 Biographie Belge d Outre Mer in French vol VI Academie Royale des Sciences d Outre Mer pp col 783 790 retrieved 2021 01 28 Long W Rodney 1939 Transport Control Abroad Trade Promotion Series U S Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce Oscar Chinn U K v Belg Permanent Court of International Justice 12 December 1934 retrieved 2021 03 14 Union National des Transports Fluviaux Unatra Origins of Value Yale School of Management 2012 retrieved 2021 03 14 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Unatra amp 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