Luanda - The transport sector raised US$380 million in concessions, while investment obligations resulted in US$1.3 billion, the minister responsible for transport, Ricardo de Abreu, said on Tuesday in Luanda.
According to the minister, who was speaking during the seventh extraordinary plenary meeting of the National Assembly, the collection results from concession initiatives and public-private partnerships, launched to attract and engage investors.
He said that of the concessions, 'the most emblematic is the Lobito Corridor'.
'We will have projects that will be included in the national development plan, but not necessarily in the State Budget as a public investment,' he said, citing, as an example, the extension of the Lobito Corridor to the Republic of Zambia.
He made it known that this extension project may soon be signed either with Zambia or with private investors who will develop it in the order of US$5.2 billion.
As part of the national master plan for the sector, Ricardo de Abreu, who answered some questions from parliamentarians, underlined the existence of three fundamental pillars, namely structural reforms, the activation of major corridors and the challenges of urban mobility.
The minister made an incursion into ongoing projects in the sector, especially in the land, air and sea segments, as well as rail, in several provinces, with emphasis on Cabinda, Zaire, Luanda, Namibe and Benguela, and reiterated the Government's efforts in terms of investment to strengthen the response capacity of services.
He pointed out as important projects to boost, as of next year, the Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport, the Integrated Development Project of Namibe Bay, as well as the Caio Deep Water Terminal and the entire process to ensure that the logistics platforms are operating both in the border domain and in the domestic economy to support the productive sector.
He made it known that the sector activated, in 2022, the northern cabotage project with the completion of maritime terminals in Soyo and Cabinda, having so far transported more than 130 thousand passengers and a cargo volume of around four thousand tons.
'We will now, in September, put into operation the new vessel, with more capacity, to respond to the dynamism of this cabotage service, which we intend to expand to other destinations on the coast,' he stressed.
As for Cabinda, he said it is the second largest in terms of civil aviation, with more than 5,000 frequencies and an estimated value of around 30,000 passengers/month.
On the other hand, he informed that the sector is seeking to conclude, later this year, the process of contracting financing for the Luena/Saurimo section, which is expected to start in 2025.
Ricardo de Abreu also spoke about Banza Congo airport, highlighting that it is currently in physical execution at around 31 percent, with its completion and activation being delayed due to changes in financing conditions on the part of financing entities.
“We think that in the near future we will have this process completed and, obviously, we intend for it to be inaugurated in 2025”, he announced, reiterating the intention to also inaugurate, next year, the Caio deep water terminal, as well as the its free zone./VC/DOJ
