Africa-Press – Angola. Funding in the order of 200 million dollars will allow the beginning of the implementation of the basic infrastructures of the first phase of the Free Trade Zone of Barra do Dande.
The financing agreement was signed this Thursday, in Rome, Italy, and should “open doors” for the start of the project, later this year, with Italian partners, according to the Minister of Transport, Ricardo D’Abreu.
The Barra do Dande Integrated Development Free Zone is located in the commune of Barra do Dande, Bengo province, and is part of the State Land Reserve.
It will be located in a total land area of 5,465 hectares, and is located 40 kilometers northeast of Luanda and 30 kilometers west of Caxito.
In 2021, Sociedade de Desenvolvimento da Barra do Dande, SA Sociedade Anónima, in the public domain, was set up in order to manage and operate this project.
The creation of an Integrated Development Terminal in Barra do Dande and its Free Zone aims, among other things, to guarantee food and energy security and the economic and industrial development of the country.
Attracting investors to Angola
As part of the Italy-Angola Economic Forum, which took place this Thursday in the Italian capital, the Minister of Economy and Planning, Mário Caetano João, highlighted the importance of cooperation with the southern European country.
Speaking to the press, the Angolan official said that it was
in Angola’s interest to deepen the economic partnership with Italy.
“We (Angola) have a positive trade balance with Italy, based on the export of petroleum products, around 90 percent”, noted the minister.
What we want, continued Mário Caetano João, is to diversify these exports with some products from the extractive sector in the wood and ornamental stone sectors.
Regarding the pharmaceutical sector, the Minister of Economy and Planning said that it was Angola’s strategy for Italy to use the country as a revolving platform for the SADC region and Central Africa.
Mário Caetano João welcomes the Angola-Italy partnership in the agro-industry sector, having explained that the European country is among the world’s largest producers of machinery in this field.
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