The Zambian government’s intention to import, in the near future, oil from the Republic of Angola was the main issue discussed on August 10 at the Presidential Palace in Luanda during a meeting between the Angolan Head of State, José Eduardo dos Santos, and the Zambian Deputy Minister at State House, Mulenga Sata.
Addressing the press after the meeting, Mulenga Sata said that his country currently imports oil and oil by products from the Middle East at a high cost and, in this context, Zambia being a neighbor of Angola “we find it more convenient to import this product from this country.”
“The Republic of Angola has projects related to the construction of oil refineries and we need to take advantage of it, as well as in the chapter of generation of electricity and gas from Angola to Zambia,” he said.
Visiting Angola for the first time, the Zambian official expressed that he was quite impressed with Angola’s current development level.
António Nunes, CEO of Angola Cables / Photo: Pedro Parente
The Angolan telecommunications operator, Angola Cables, has obtained land in Fortaleza, the capital of the Brazilian state of Ceará, to build an undersea fiber optic cable station and a data center for the system that will link Fortaleza (Brazil) to Luanda (Angola).
The official land handover ceremony was held on July 24th in Fortaleza, where the Mayor, Roberto Cláudio, and the CEO of Angola Cables, António Nunes signed a contract.
The Angola Cables will manage the 6,165km long fiber optic cable, which, in the framework of the South Atlantic Cable System (SACS), will connect Africa and South America and later on, Africa and North America when the Monet Cable System is deployed.
The Monet Cable System, a consortium that includes Angola Cables (Angola), Algar Telecom (Brazil) Google (USA) and Antel (Uruguay), is an undersea fiber optic cable linking Fortaleza and Santos in Brazil to Miami, in the United States.
Minister of External Relations, Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti Photo: Pedro Parente
On July 24th, Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, attended in Dili, East Timor, the 20th Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Portuguese Speaking Countries Community (CPLP).
The meeting reviewed the activities carried out in the first year under the rotating presidency of the CPLP, which East Timor currently holds. The meeting also reviewed reports from the CPLP’s Executive Secretary, the International Institute of Portuguese Language (IILP) As well as from the CPLP Business Confederation.
CPLP member states also tackled issues such as the New Strategic Vision, globalization, the mobility of citizens within the Community and the new post-2015 Cooperation Vision.
The member states of the CPLP are Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, East Timor, Mozambique, Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe.
The Angolan Parliament approved on July 23rd, the Private Investment Law, which aims to adapt the system of tax benefits to the current economic dynamics of the country. The draft bill, which was presented by the Minister of Economy, Abraão Gourgel, will reduce bureaucracy associated with the entry of investments. The bill establishes the general bases of private investment in Angola and outlines the principles and rules for access to incentives and other benefits granted by the Angolan government.
This draft bill, will also establish the general basis for private investment in Angola, including in special economic zones, free trade zones, development hubs and in other areas subject to specific guidelines.
Francisco Monteiro Queirós – Minister of Geology and Mining / Photo: Pedro Parente
New mining areas have been discovered in the provinces of Huíla, Huambo, Kuando Kubango, Kwanza Norte and Kwanza Sul, under the geological survey program currently underway in the country, said the Minister of Geology and Mining, Francisco Monteiro Queiróz, adding that during the first phase of the geological survey program some mineral anomalies were identified in the aforesaid provinces which will be thoroughly surveyed in the second stage of the program.
The Minister said that by 2017 Angola will have a complete geological map. The aim is to create a credible information database which will enable the State to draft a long-term management and exploration plan of the mineral resources. The geological mapping information will also be made available to potential investors, policy makers, academics and all other interested parties.
The Heads of State of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos, and of France, François Hollande, expressed a common desire to strengthen the bilateral relations between their two countries at a meeting held in the Angolan Presidential Palace.
PHOTO: PEDRO PARENTE
Speaking to the press after the meeting, the Angolan President, José Eduardo dos Santos, said that the two sides also expressed interest in exploring ways to better use the opportunities provided by the 1986 General Cooperation Agreement and other specific agreements.
José Eduardo dos Santos also said that the meeting discussed political and security issues of concern to Angola and the region. The President added that France’s support for Africa in the fight against terrorism and the preservation of peace, was also part of the agenda of the meeting.
François Hollande, highlighted in particular the role played by his Angolan counterpart, José Eduardo dos Santos, in resolving the conflict in the Central African Republic.
The French leader visited Angola from 3 to 4 July at the invitation of his Angolan counterpart, José Eduardo dos Santos.
At least 12,400Km of the main network of roads has been repaired since 2005, according to the Director -General of the Angola Roads Institute (INEA), António Resende.
Speaking at a workshop on “Works and Their Stages in the Construction Sector”, António Resende said that another 7,800km of roads are currently being repaired leaving remaining just 5,600Km of roads to complete the entire the rehabilitation of the 26,000Km long main road basic network.
António Resende added that under the Road Infrastructure Rehabilitation Program, 233 bridges have already been repaired, another 327 are currently underway. He also highlighted that there is a total of 900 bridges throughout the country that need to be rehabilitated.
According to Luís Mourão da Silva, CEO of the Electricity Regulatory Institute (IRSE), the National Electrification Program will bring electricity to 86 municipality throughout Angola by 2017.
Speaking at the Conference on Energy Development for the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), Silva added that by 2025 Angola’s electrification rate will go from the current 33% to 60%.
Under the national Development Plan (PND) for 2013 – 2017, the country’s energy sector has set aside $3.3 billion for renewable energy and rural electrification projects.
The Embassy of the Republic Angola in Japan in close cooperation with the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Angola held in Luanda from March 9 to 11, 2015 the second Angola-Japan Business Forum. This event came as a follow up to the Angola-Japan Business Forum held in Tokyo in September 4, 2013.
The forum featured presentations by top Angolan government officials including the Minister of Economy, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Transports, Minister of Tourism, Minister of Energy and Water, Minister of Industry, Minister of Geology and Mines, State Secretary for External Relations, State Secretary for Cooperation and the CEO of the National Private Investment Agency.
From left to right: H.E. Augusto da Silva Tomas, Minister of Transports, H. E. José María Botelhos de Vasconcelos, Minister of Oil and H.E. Abrahão Pio dos Santos Gourgel, Minister of Economy.
The event aimed at 1) providing an opportunity for Japanese companies to see for themselves the huge business opportunities that Angola offers in several sectors; 2) Providing an opportunity for Japanese companies to network with top officials from the Angolan government and 3) Creating an opportunity for greater interaction between business, financial institutions and investment promotion agencies of the two countries.
The business forum attracted more than 300 participants from the public and private sectors. The Japanese delegation which was headed by Ambassador Norio Maruyama, the Director-General of the African Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, included 124 businessmen and officials representing JBIC, JICA, JETRO, NEXI, Keidanren as well as 34 companies.
Ambassador Maruyama exchanging views with H.E. State Secretary for External Relations, Manuel Augusto
The first day of the event consisted mainly of presentations about business opportunities in Angola and the second and third days were reserved for bilateral meetings between Angolan Ministers as well as CEOs of public companies and Japanese businessmen. Such meetings provided excellent opportunities for Japanese businessmen to directly present to top government officials the know-how of their respective companies which can play an important role in the Angola National Development Plan (PND) as well as in the diversification of its economy.
Overall, the Angola-Japan Business Forum was a great success as it turned a new page in the Angola-Japan bilateral ties. The Embassy of the Republic Angola in Japan, for its part, will continue to work with all the stakeholders, both in Angola and Japan, so that measurable results from the forum can be witnessed in the near future.
MINISTER OF TERRITORY ADMINISTRATION, BORNITO DE SOUSA / PHOTO: HENRI CELSO
The Angolan National Program of Urbanization and Housing aims to provide to the population, by 2017, about 213,000 houses and 14 new towns across the country to reduce the huge housing deficit.
The information was released by the Minister of Territory Administration, Bornito de Sousa, at the closing ceremony of the 3rd International Conference on Real Estate held in Luanda.
