Viana - The Angolan government has 5.5 billion kwanzas for public investment projects, aimed at encouraging national production and reducing imports of goods into the country, with emphasis on construction materials, the Minister of State for Economic Coordination, José de Lima Massano announced on Monday in Luanda.

The minister, who was speaking during the meeting with members of the Construction Industry associations, stressed that the amount available is part of the Government's 2025 Public Investment Program, an action that serves as a business opportunity for the business class.

The minister stressed that the financial amount represents an incentive to national production and a significant reduction in imports of goods with domestic production capacity that are still high.

He recalled that, until November 2024, the country spent US$1.5 billion on the import of construction materials, a reality that needs to be reversed, with the exploration of the country's potential and installed capacity.

He pointed to the construction sector as the area of high potential that should take greater advantage of its industrial capacity, which grew eight percent until the third quarter of 2024, compared to the previous year, representing 2.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Therefore, José de Lima Massano called on associations to play a more active role in the construction materials industry in its most varied specialties and increase the productivity of their companies. 

The Minister of State considered the best use of the productive capacity of the Angolan market as one of the solutions to boost the country's economy, generate income and improve the living conditions of citizens.

The Minister of Public Works, Urbanism and Housing, Carlos dos Santos, highlighted the development of the construction industry as a factor that will allow the implementation of the directed self-construction programme and reduce the price of materials.

The meeting between the Government's economic team and members of the Construction Industry associations, which included the Minister of Industry and Trade, Rui Miguêns de Oliveira, aimed to listen to and guide the industrialists to produce at the maximum level of their capacity, so that the final product has quality and is more accessible to the consumer.

The meeting was attended by members of the Association of Construction Materials Industries of Angola (AIMICA), Association of Cement Industries of Angola (AICA) and National Association of Timber Industries of Angola (ANIMA).

Before the meeting, José de Lima Massano visited two construction material manufacturing units in the Viana Industrial Pole (PIV), namely Ferpinta Angola, an industrial company in the metalworking sector, and Extrulider, an aluminum factory. AA/HDC/QCB/DOJ