Africa-Press – Angola. The Minister of National Defense and Veterans of the Fatherland, João Ernesto dos Santos, promised, this Wednesday, in Luanda, the mobilization of financial resources, to continue to develop the military industry and increase production levels in 2023.
In an end-of-year message, the official said that in the year about to begin, he also intends to intensify the training of the military, to promote professional training and expand, in the medium and short term, programs to modernize weapons, techniques and high-quality equipment. quality.
Also part of the priorities are the construction and requalification of infrastructures for barracks, education, multifaceted security, according to the characteristics of each military region, thus enhancing the engineering battalions and military construction.
Also, next year, the production of uniforms and footwear will continue, to ensure self-sufficiency for the Armed Forces.
With regard to the year about to end, the minister listed some advances, such as the ongoing restructuring and resizing process in the sector, with the production of important legislative initiatives regulating its activity.
In this order of thought, he continued, the Basic Law on the Organization of National Defense, on the Organization and Operation of the Angolan Armed Forces, on the Special Protection Regime for Former Combatants and Veterans of the Homeland and of the Military Service.
As for mastering the Military Education system, the process was reviewed and adapted to current requirements, enhancing internal military training, as opposed to external training, with, in the period 2017-2022, 15 thousand and 66 military personnel being trained in the country, against a thousand and 49 outside national territory.
With regard to the production of uniforms and footwear, in a first phase, 75,000 campaign uniforms were produced, against the 22,000 originally planned, and 11,000 pairs of boots were made, with a stock of raw material to produce 400,000 uniforms and 60,000 boots.
As for infrastructure, the minister said that the Naval Base of Soyo and the Central Military Hospital were being renovated, the construction of the Regional Maritime Surveillance Centers in Lobito and Namibe, as well as the construction of the Coordination and Maritime Surveillance Center in Luanda .
The construction of the new Main Military Hospital in Luanda and three regional ones in the provinces of Cabinda, Moxico and Huambo is also at the forefront.
With regard to former combatants and veterans of the Fatherland, João Ernesto dos Santos explained that 77,519 people were re-registered, of which 1,124 benefited from housing in different provinces.
He said that 80 thousand and 457 pensioners are included in the pension payment system, among them 46 thousand 128 retired, 64 due to disability and 34 thousand 265 due to survivors.
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