Africa-Press – Angola. The extension of the distribution of gasoline exemption cards to taxi drivers in the remaining 17 provinces of the country, was one of the highlights of the Economic Editorial for the week that ends Saturday.
This exemption process, which started on the 2nd of this month in Luanda, includes motorcycle taxi drivers and fishermen from artisanal boats, who will continue to benefit from the State subsidy, buying a liter of gasoline at the old price of 160 kwanzas, at contrary to the current 300 kwanzas.
The distribution of these cards, which are being delivered to the municipal directorates of Transport, Traffic and Urban Mobility of the municipal administrations, as well as to the municipal directorates of Agriculture and Fisheries in each province, is part of the partial withdrawal of the subsidies for gasoline, in force since the 2nd of June of this year.
In the drinks sector, the highlight was the announcement of a ban on the production, import and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in small plastic sachets, known as packets, in the coming days.
The measure, announced by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Victor Fernandes, covers industries in the national territory, importers and traders, who will have a moratorium period defined in a Decree to be made public shortly.
According to the official, the ban on these drinks aims to minimize the number of deaths and illnesses registered by health authorities, due to excessive consumption, easy access and low price.
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Energy and Water and the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt was also the highlight of the week.
The agreement, signed within the framework of the visit of the President of Egypt to Angola, on the 6th and 7th of June, aims to gather Egypt’s experience in matters related to the construction of hydraulic infrastructures, to mitigate the effects of the drought in the southern region of country, with emphasis on the provinces of Cuando Cubango, Cunene, Huíla and Benguela.
Furthermore, the memorandum will also serve for technical assistance on groundwater, based on the experience of the Arab country in the field of construction of engineering works, linked to hydraulic infrastructures.
Also noteworthy was the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Banco Caixa Geral Angola (BCGA), the Credit Guarantee Fund (FGC) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, for the expansion of the Agriculture Development Project Commercial (PDAC), running since 2020, in Angola.
With this agreement, the PDAC now has the financial support of the BCGA, which is available to finance agricultural initiatives under this program.
Specifically, the memorandum aims to facilitate access to finance for micro, small and medium-sized companies, as well as individual entrepreneurs and cooperatives dedicated, essentially, to the production of corn, beans, soy, coffee, eggs and chickens, within the scope of the agriculture project. commercial.
Set up by the Angolan Government, the PDAC is financed by the World Bank (WB) and the French Development Agency (AFD), which provided a global budget of US$230 million, of which US$130 million was from the WB and US$100 million from the AFD.
Still in the financial domain, Banco Português de Fomento (BPF) expressed its interest in recapitalizing and financing projects by Angolan Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
The intention of the Portuguese bank results from the request made by the Development Bank of Angola (BDA), during a meeting between the Minister of Economy and Planning of Angola, Mário Caetano João, and the head of the Executive Board of BPF, Maria Celeste Agrellos.
Leaving the meeting, which was part of the visit to Angola by the Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, the Portuguese manager referred that the teams from the two banks will identify the sectors and define concrete actions for financing the projects in question.
Without advancing the financing package, the BPF is available to collaborate even in the financing of large infrastructures in the country.
The week was also marked by the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Sonangol and the company China National Chemical Engineering (CNCEC), for the construction of the Lobito Refinery, in Benguela.
Sonangol and the company China National Chemical Engineering (CNCEC) signed, this Tuesday, in Beijing, China, a Memorandum of Understanding for the construction of the Lobito Refinery, in Benguela.
The document was signed, on behalf of Sonangol, by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Gaspar Martins, at an event witnessed by the Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, and other sector staff.
The agreement, signed in Beijing (China), is part of the responsibility to implement and seek financing for the Lobito Refinery project.
With a capacity to process 200,000 barrels/day of oil, the Lobito Refinery expects to complete, in 2026, an infrastructure that will supply the domestic market and supply the countries of the SADC region.
The media consultation meeting, within the scope of the Long Term Strategy (ELP – Angola 2050) also deserved a note of emphasis in the economic area.
At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Economy and Planning, Mário Caetano João, assured that around one billion kwanzas (55 percent) of the global value, for the gradual implementation of the ELP – Angola 2050, will come from foreign direct investment, with the General State Budget (OGE) financing 30 percent of the program.
For this strategy, the oil sector and commercial banking should finance at around 11 and 10 percent, respectively.
The ELP – Angola 2050 is the base tool for the preparation of the National Development Plan (PDN), which presents the strategic options for the country’s long-term development.
For the review of the week ending yesterday, the celebration of World Oceans Day, on the 8th of this month, was also highlighted, the date of which was marked with the holding of a workshop on the implementation of the Angolan Marine Space Management Plan (POEM).
On the occasion, the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Carmen Neto, considered that sharing knowledge about the sea is essential for the development of common strategies capable of ensuring the protection of ocean resources.
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