Africa-Press – Angola. At least 11,400 kilometers of the national road network have been paved, which corresponds to 41.3 percent of its total length, the minister of Public Works, Urban Planning and Housing, Carlos Alberto dos Santos, announced Wednesday in the city of Lobito, centre-west province of Benguela.
He was speaking at the opening of the international seminar on road concessions held in a partnership between the Angolan Government, the European Union and other partners.
According to the minister, the maintenance and conservation of this important heritage currently represents a major challenge for the Angolan Government.
He considers the national road network as one of the main propellers of the country’s economic development, which is why the Angolan Government is investing in its modernization in accordance with international standards.
The minister stated that the Angolan Government considers that road concessions are a strategic instrument to additionally mobilize private financing, in order to guarantee the emergence of more structural works and, above all, guarantee the maintenance and conservation of the road heritage.
“As foreseen in the National Development Plan 2023/2027, public-private partnerships and concession models are also strategic instruments to implement the defined goals”, he said
He said that in this regard, the holding the international seminar demonstrates Angola’s interest in mobilizing private financing for public infrastructures, reducing pressure on the General State Budget (OGE), ensuring the efficiency and maintenance of infrastructures and accelerating the implementation of structuring projects in this field.
At the time, the minister announced that the Government of Angola, with the support of an important international partner, the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has already started carrying out studies and projects for the construction of the future north/south highway, a strategic axis that will connect the country from north to south.
According to the him, this road will enhance regional integration, turning to a road that will guarantee connection with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Republic of Namibia, as well as connecting the Republic of Zambia, through the Lobito Corridor, and the integration of the transit-Africa route, at number three, which connects the north to the south of the continent.
“Another memorandum will also soon be signed with a group of partners, involving national and foreign initiatives, to begin studies and projects for the construction of the west/east highway, starting here in the province of Benguela, passing through the provinces of Huambo, Bié, Moxico and Moxico east, that is, the real Lobito road corridor, with a length of more than 300 kilometers of road”, he said.
In his opinion, the joint European Union/Angola agreement undoubtedly reinforces cooperation in structuring areas, placing emphasis on investment in public infrastructure.
“In this context, road concessions assume special relevance as a model aligned with international standards,” he stated.
He also said that the Government considers that the development of these concessions is not only a financial option, but also a strategic one, to accelerate national development and at the same time ensure that infrastructures are conserved and maintained within good practices.
Current framework of the national road network
The minister presented Angola’s road plan at the event, stating that the country has a road network of around 79,300 kilometers, of which 27,600 km make up the national road network, a percentage of 34.8, while 51,700 km complete the municipal network, a percentage of 65.2 percent.
Specifically regarding the province of Benguela, he said it is a key connection point between several national road networks.
He gave the example of the national road EN100, which crosses the country from north to south, with a length of 1860 kilometers, running along the entire coast of Angola, the EN250, with 1,330 km, which crosses the provinces of Huambo Bié, Moxico and eastern Moxico.
“The Govrnment is currently investing, in the province of Benguela, more than four hundred billion kwanzas for the urban requalification of coastal cities, providing them with several urban roads, rehabilitation and construction of public buildings and the recovery of the macro-drainage system, particularly involving European companies,” he recalled.
The official also informed that the Government is negotiating the financial conditions so that, with the involvement of Portuguese companies, the rehabilitation of 250 kilometers of roads in the Catengue/Ganda/Babaera section and the Ganda/Ebanga/Balombo section will soon begin.
“These are examples of sections that connect urban centers and important economic centers, reinforcing here the need to discuss concession and management models for the maintenance of these infrastructures”, stated the minister.
