One hundred million US dollars is the amount made available by the State Development Bank of Poland (BGK) to the Republic of Angola to finance projects in the fisheries, agriculture, transport and other key sectors of the economy.

This is the first financing of this bank to Angola, with a framework for a long-term credit line, whose terms shall be based on the Export Credits Agreement.

In order to achieve this financing, which also aims to strengthen the development of fruitful cooperation between the two countries, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Ministry of Finance and BGK on Tuesday in Luanda, to expand and increase the ties between the two economies.

According to the Polish ambassador to Angola, Piotr Mysliwiec, the MOU sets forth the terms and general conditions that will govern each individual financing facility, and the specific and inherent conditions of each agreement will be subject to approval by BGK and the Export Credit Agencies of Poland and Angola.

The ambassador also added that the execution of public investment projects will be carried out by Polish companies, as contractors or subcontractors, while the choice of areas for financing will be the responsibility of Angola.

The MOU was signed by the Director of the Debt Management Unit of the Ministry of Finance, Osvaldo João and the Director of the BGK, Arkadiusz Zablotonski, and witnessed by the Secretary of State for Treasury, Mário de Nascimento and other Polish and Angolan officials.

Source: ANGOP

The Minister of Geology and Mining, Francisco Queiros, said that according to airborne geophysical survey of Angola done under the National Geological Survey Plan (Planageo), the copperbelt of Zambia and DR Congo extends to the Angolan territory by at least 116 thousand square kilometers.

In addition to the copper belt, the minister said that the geological survey carried out within the framework of Planageo enabled the discovery of the Cunene Gabbro-Anorthosite Complex covering an area of 45 km² in the Provinces of Huíla and Cunene and extends to the Republic of Namibia.

Francisco Queiroz, who was speaking at the launching ceremony of the Association of Angolan Geosciences and Petroleum Activities Support Companies (AEAGSAP), said that knowledge of the geological and mining potential of Angola is a very useful tool for entrepreneurs of geosciences and related fields to develop their role in the mining sector in Angola.

Considering the preliminary results of Planageo, he pointed out that the Angolan government has embarked on a campaign to attract world-class investors.

“We are hopeful that in the medium term these investments will have a positive impact on changing the country’s economic base in terms of tax revenues and foreign currency sources, job creation and therefore be a sustainable alternative to oil.”

He called on Angolan businessmen to participate actively in mining investment, either through partnerships with foreign investors or through the investment funds that will be created.

Source: ANGOP

One billion US dollars is the amount that is being invested in Angola by the North American business group GE in sectors such as power, transportation, oil, gas and health, announced on Wednesday, in Luanda, the Chairman and CEO of the company, Jeffrey Immelt.

Speaking to the press after an audience granted by the President of the Republic, José Eduardo dos Santos at the Presidential Palace, Jeffrey Immelt said that GE will work to increase Angola’s power grid output from 1.5 to 2 Megawatts.

He described the audience as an opportunity to update the Angolan Head of State with information related to projects that GE is developing in Angola, particularly in the power and transportation sectors.

“We are going to deliver 100 locomotives to help the country in the transportation of goods, and in the exploration and production of gas,” added Jeffrey Immelt, who in January of 2015 was received by the Angolan President, with whom he discussed aspects related to investments and projects of GE in Angola.

Source: ANGOP

The Angolan government is working to join the Agreement on Trade Facilitation, given its importance for the country’s economic development and the well-being of the people, said Monday the Minister of Commerce, Fiel Domingos Constantino.

According to the minister, at the level of the Ministry of Commerce, a restructuring is under way both in trade legislation and institutional terms, which will improve collaboration between the Ministry, the Central Bank of Angola and the General Tax Administration. He emphasized that such restructuring is intended to eliminate excessive administrative barriers in imports and exports, as well as to combat unlawful acts.

Minister Fiel Domingos Constantino recognizes that, at the domestic level, there are many public bodies with work related to international trade, hence the need for better coordination. He said that the establishment of a National Commission for Trade Facilitation is expected to serve as a consultative body for the Angolan government and to provide the necessary inputs for the development of operational and strategic solutions. The commission will also draw up a plan for implementation, taking into account the objectives of a broader trade facilitation reform.

The seminar on trade facilitation in Angola that is being held between January 23 and 24, in Luanda, aims to present the results of the work of the Multisectoral Technical Group, regarding the measures adopted by Angola to facilitate trade.

The Trade Facilitation Agreement of the World Trade Organization (WTO) sets forth various measures to facilitate trade such as expediting the clearance of goods, streamlining procedures and bureaucracy, while maintaining legitimate regulatory controls and overseeing the movement of goods across borders, making it more efficient.

Source: ANGOP

The outgoing Japanese Ambassador to Angola, Kuniaki Ito, on Thursday, December 8, informed the Angolan Head of State, José Eduardo dos Santos, about Japan’s interest in financing agricultural projects in Angola.

Speaking after an audience granted to him by the Angolan Head of State, the Japanese diplomat said that the amount of funding will be decided after projects are identified.

Ambassador Kuniaki Ito who is at the end of his two-year mission, also expressed the interest of his country’s businessmen in investing in Angola, even though the business environment is not very favorable.

The Japanese diplomat said that bilateral relations have been enhanced for the good of both countries and recognizes that efforts are being made to improve the business environment in Angola.

Source: ANGOP

The 6th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the International Conference on Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) will be held on June 14, in Luanda.

This was confirmed on Monday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Georges Chikoti, while speaking to the press following a meeting with the Special Envoy UN Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region, Said Djinnit.

Said Djinnit took the opportunity to praise and thank Angola for its constructive role and for the leadership of President José Eduardo dos Santos in the Great Lakes region.

The ICGLR members include Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.

Source: ANGOP

As a part of the 40th anniversary celebrations for the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Angola, the Kaposoka Symphony Orchestra and the Soma Children’s Orchestra and Chorus held a concert at the Daiichi Seimei Hall in Tokyo on May 21st, 2016 attended by about 600 guests. The concert was the last of a series of 5 concerts that were held in various cities across Japan.

The Kaposoka Symphony Orchestra arrived in Japan on May 6th for a two weeks tour that took them to Hamamatsu, Matsumoto, Soma, Sendai, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Tokyo. In Matsumoto, the orchestra members attended a two-day intensive seminar at the headquarters of the Talent Education Research Institute. The workshop was led by masters of the Suzuki Method including Mrs. Hiroko Suzuki, president of the institution and niece of the founder of the Suzuki Method (Dr. Shinichi Suzuki).

The Angolan Kaposoka Symphony Orchestra is comprised of 620 youth, aged 6 to 21, with 50 currently performing within and outside of Angola. The Kaposoka Symphony Orchestra’s Japan tour is the first one is Asia.

Source: Embassy of Angola in Japan