Lubango - Twenty billion, 550 million kwanzas begin, this year, to be allocated annually for financial support of companies in the tourism sector, within the framework of the National Tourism Promotion Plan (PLANATUR) until 2027.
The PLANATUR, approved by Presidential Decree No. 69/24, of March 11, aims to ensure large-scale direct investments, to facilitate tourist access and mobility.
The plan outlines the need to develop public service infrastructures, safeguard the training and qualifications of staff to provide services, as well as improve the legal and regulatory framework for tourist activity in the country.
The amounts will be allocated to hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, leisure and entertainment, according to the member of the restructuring committee of the Angolan Venture Capital Fund (FACRA), Mário Mangueira.
When speaking about the subject, over the weekend, after presenting the panel “The role of financial institutions in supporting tourism projects” at the International Tourism Exchange (BITUR), he stated that the allocation of values is stipulated by the financing request, by the operator.
At the moment, he stated, they are working on the requirements and packages that will be available, depending on the amount requested and the company's capacity.
He reinforced that as soon as FACRA is capitalized, it will be communicated to interested parties, to begin the process of receiving applications, an action that should begin at the end of this month.
“It will be FACRA's first experience in the tourism sector and based on this we will have this year we will be able to review whether or not it is sufficient for the coming years, but, in principle, we believe that yes, it is a sufficient amount”, he considered.
He highlighted that outside of tourism, FACRA's experience with measures to stimulate the economy ranges from 300 to 500 million kwanzas, with no maximum ceiling established, depending on the attractiveness of the project itself, but it can reach 800 million.
Regarding the financing conditions, Mário Mangueira said that, initially, a letter requesting credit addressed to FACRA, a business plan with a five-year projection and the promoter's personal identification documentation are necessary.
Outside this sector, according to Mário Mangueira, the measure to stimulate the economy began in 2023 and has already made available close to 1.2 billion kwanzas with the first four financing projects, a credit line valued at five billion kwanzas.
Created under Presidential Decree nº 108/12, of 7 June, the Angolan Venture Capital Active Fund (FACRA), is a public fund aimed at Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in the initial phase of activity or business expansion.
BITUR took place from the second to the fourth of the current month, under the motto “Tourism as a determining factor for the diversification of the national economy”, the event is an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with “Eventos Arena”, whose purpose is to present the country's tourist potential. MS/MS/DOJ
