Africa-Press – Angola. The Minister of Transport, Ricardo de Abreu, announced, Friday (22), the start of cabotage operations, transport of people and goods between Cabinda and Soyo and vice-versa, for 26 April.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Cabinda Passenger Maritime Terminal, by President João Lourenço, he added that, for this purpose, 2 catamaran-type vessels with a transport capacity of 300 will be available to the two provinces in a first phase. passengers, entitled to 40kg of cargo, on two weekly frequencies, Tuesdays and Fridays, with 2 daily trips.
“As demand grows, more vessels will be introduced. Cargo transport services will be fully operational with the completion of the Quebra-Mar, scheduled for the beginning of July this year. Transport, from Luanda, is scheduled to start for May”, he announced.
In an initial phase, he said, the maritime terminals of Cabinda and Soyo will be operated by the port companies, and the process for the concession, exploration and operation of the same by international entities of recognized capacity is already being concluded, seeking to ensure the maximization of the potential infrastructure and transport services, for the benefit of people and neighboring countries.
According to the official, in this first phase, it is expected to receive more than 100 ships/year and transport more than 35,000 people, whose services will be provided by Sécil Marítima and other interested operators.
According to the Transport Minister, the inauguration of the Cabinda Passenger Maritime Terminal, whose construction works began in 2017, completely changes the panorama of possibilities for access to the province, which will contribute to reducing the cost of living for citizens. significantly.
“We found a project at a standstill and with no completion date in sight. But Your Excellency’s strategic vision, guidance and firm commitment to solving the problems of this province, allowed us to bring Cabinda closer to the rest of the country and work hard to balanced and harmonious development of our country”, he said.
The project has a berth of approximately 360 meters, with a draft of 9 meters, which will allow the mooring of medium and large ships, which cannot be operated at the current 120-meter quay.
The Cabinda Maritime Terminal will also operate Ro-Ro ships and barges, such as the Cabinda Ferry and other types of vessels capable of transporting general cargo, containers, trucks and light vehicles.
With the entry into operation of the new ships, the crossing time between Soyo and Cabinda decreases from 8 to 12 hours, to two hours and thirty minutes, in more adequate conditions of safety and comfort, as well as a reduction in the cost of the passage from 30 thousand kwanzas to 15 thousand kwanzas.
According to the Minister of Transport, the general cost of freight will also be significantly reduced, due to the increased safety of cargo handling and the reduction of waiting time at the Port of Cabinda terminals.
Ricardo de Abreu announced that the Ministry of Transport, in collaboration with the ports of Luanda, Soyo, Cabinda and Sécil Marítima SA, has designed a program of strategic investments to boost cabotage in the northern region of the country between Cabinda-Soyo-Luanda.
“We intend to extend this program to the commune of Pedra do Feitiço and the municipality of Nóqui, as well as to explore other opportunities in this area of great river wealth, boosting, in addition to trade, tourism and environmental protection”, he said.
To this end, according to Ricardo de Abreu, teamwork is being carried out with the Ministry of Finance to finalize the regulatory framework for cabotage activity and the specific tariff regime.
Regarding Cabinda, the minister announced other projects of strategic scope such as the Aguas Profundas do Caio Terminal and the adjacent free zone, which will bring benefits to the province, positioning it as an important and relevant logistical hub on the West African coast, in particular in the Gulf of Guinea, with completion expected in 2023.
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