Africa-Press – Angola. At least 25 exhibitors, especially businesspeople in the ornamental stone sector, are taking part in the sector exhibition opened thursday, Thursday, in this city, as part of publicizing the potential for mining exploration and transformation in the country.
Lubango – At least 25 exhibitors, especially businesspeople in the ornamental stone sector, are taking part in the sector exhibition opened Thursday, in this city, as part of publicizing the potential for mining exploration and transformation in the country.
The activity inaugurated by the Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, lasts two days and takes place simultaneously with the workshop on Ornamental Rocks of Angola (ROA-2023).
Among the operators in the area, HM-Granitos, Marlin and Granisul stand out, which operate mainly in the municipalities of Chibia and Gambos, where the greatest potential for ornamental rocks in the province is found.
Speaking at the event, the president of the Association of Producers, Transformers, Traders and Exporters of Ornamental Stones of Southern Angola (APEPA), Marcelo Siku, said they were prepared to respond to production challenges and increase revenue in the country.
In terms of production, he detailed that despite the global crisis, the associates are producing more than 30 thousand cubic meters/month and annually with a figure exceeding one million tons.
As for exports, he mentioned the need to acquire more than a thousand containers per month at the Port of Namibe, which they do not have, as a large part of the empty containers are in Lobito and Luanda.
The national market, according to the source, “is weak”, as the construction sector is facing a crisis, as four years ago 100 blocks were sold to Luanda, currently there are no more than 20, in addition to transport difficulties.
“We would like to have 80 percent of our product transformed by rail, but the Moçâmedes Railway does not have the capacity to transport 50 percent of what we do with trucks” he reinforced.
He made it known that there are currently 16 companies in MS/MS
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