Africa-Press – Angola. The deputy governor for the Political, Social and Economic sector of the province of Huambo, Angelino Elavoco, highlighted Friday, the importance of revitalizing the Lobito Corridor in promoting the development of the national economy.
The official, who was speaking at the IV BIC-RNA Forum, highlighted that the operationalization of the Lobito Corridor constitutes an “extremely important” factor for regional integration between Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), through rail transport.
He said that the revitalization of the Lobito Corridor, which is no longer just a concern of the Angolan Government, but also of other countries interested in taking advantage of this strategic element for the national and regional economy, constitutes one of the factors in which agribusiness of the province can be used to grow.
He considered that the BIC-RNA Forum will allow the various sensitivities that act in the productive sector, directly and/or indirectly, to reflect on the paths to follow, the constraints to be removed, in order to make agri-business done in Huambo more powerful and competitive.
Angelino Elavoco recalled that, in addition to the potential that the province of Huambo has in the agricultural sector, in terms of fertile land, availability of abundant water and a qualified workforce served by educational and research institutions, it also counts on with infrastructure capable of boosting agribusiness in the region and guaranteeing food security.
With the Lobito Corridor under development, he added, external demand for national production will tend to increase, hence the need for producers to be prepared to increase current levels of cultivation, so that the province is able to meet the needs of the consumer market..
The vice-governor stated that the industrialization of the province of Huambo constitutes another key element in this process, which is why the local government has created the conditions, with a view to providing economic operators with basic conditions for industries to be installed en masse in this region. territorial circumscription.
“We must be able to return to producing and transforming everything we consume locally, mainly in the food industry sector. It is a path that we have to take together, with banks granting credit without excessive bureaucracy, State institutions facilitating and enabling processes, academics producing science and promoting innovation in agribusiness”, he highlighted.
In this way, he added, it will be possible to work together to promote employment, focusing on increasing family incomes and, in this way, reducing poverty levels, which are some of the main objectives of any government action.
In turn, the executive administrator of Banco Internacional de Crédito (BIC), Aleixo Afonso, said that the IV forum, in partnership with the Rádio Nacional de Angola (RNA) group, constitutes a vital platform to share ideas and essential information about development of agro-industry in the central region of the country and beyond.
He encouraged participants to contribute their experiences, perspectives and innovative proposals, to boost economic and sustainable growth in the province of Huambo.
He stressed that BIC has been one of the leading banks in the Angolan financial system, facilitating access to diverse services, through a vast network of branches and innovative products, to strengthen the local economy.
When speaking at the event, the executive administrator for the Marketing and Exchange area of RNA, Sebastião Lino, said that the topics under debate are of transversal importance, at a time when it is increasingly necessary to diversify the country’s economy.
He said that addressing agri-business and the Lobito Corridor constitutes a privilege for RNA, thus contributing to the promotion of events that advise people to learn more about local and regional potential, with the aim of awakening in Angolans the need to make a better country.
He expected that the IV BIC-RNA forum will produce useful indicators that can be converted into collective benefit initiatives, judging by the agricultural potential of this region of the Angolan Central Highlands, which is part of the Lobito Corridor.
Lasting one day, the event, which takes place at the Journalist Training Center (CEFOJOR) in Huambo, will cover “The promotion of agri-business and its financing policies” and “The food processing industry and the economic growth of the country”.
Under the motto “Agro-industry”, “The role of banking and support for business initiatives” and “Impact of the construction of logistics platforms along the Lobito Corridor on the socio-economic development of the region” are also being debated. The government’s strategies for promoting wheat production” and the “Impact of large-scale production of cereals and grains in Bié”.
The III RNA-BIC Forum took place on December 7, 2023, in the railway city of Lobito, province of Benguela.
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