Saurimo - The Local Governance Council approved, on Monday, the new organic statutes of the Provincial Governments of Cuando, Cubango, Icolo & Bengo, Moxico, Moxico Leste, Luanda and the Municipal Administrations, according to the new classification.
The implementation of the new Politico-Administrative Division (DPA), which aims to adjust the organization of the territory to the demographic growth demands, dominated the first ordinary meeting of the Local Governance Council, held in the province of Lunda-Sul, under President João Lourenço's guidance.
The Head of the Executive Power has been in the province of Lunda Sul, in the country's eastern region, since Monday (24), for a two-day working visit within the framework of local governance.
According to the final statement of the meeting, the progress of the implementation of the aforementioned project aims to promote harmonious development, bringing public services closer to the population, thus reducing regional asymmetries.
In this regard, a set of diplomas was approved, aiming to materialize the tasks foreseen in the Action Plan for the Implementation of the new DPA.
Regarding essential infrastructure and territorial organization, preliminary studies were carried out and areas were identified for the construction of the future cities of Mavinga (province of Cuando) and Cazombo (province of Moxico Leste).
In this area, the Urban Plan for the Airport City of Icolo & Bengo was recently approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, the press release states.
As part of improving the skills of human capital and consolidating the administrative reorganization process, training sessions were held on Introduction to Public Service for Local Govt Bodies and Introduction to Local Finance, aimed at municipal administrators and deputies for the Economic and Financial Area.
The general secretaries of municipal administrations and other local staff are also included, plus the course Introduction to Territorial Planning and Local Urban Development, aimed at municipal administrators and deputies for the Technical Area, Infrastructure and Community Services, is ongoing.
Other training activities for municipal administrators and assistants for the Political, Social and Community Areas are expected to be carried out in the near future.
In the budgetary sphere, the necessary resources were secured for the 2025 financial year to cover personnel expenses, current and capital expenditure for the three new provinces and their municipalities.
Unpaved roads
During the meeting, the Local Govt Council assessed the Unpaved Roads Programme for the National Production flow.
The document, which presents a set of actions to be developed for the construction or rehabilitation of strategically important roads, aims to contribute to the quick flow of national production, mainly in the agricultural, industrial, mining and tourism sectors.
The measure aims to assess the level of intervention to be carried out on the selected routes, as well as the cost estimates for implementing the aforementioned Programme.
In the first phase, it is envisaged that intervention will be carried out over a distance of 3,344 kilometres in the twenty-one (21) provinces of the country.
Food security
In this regard, the meeting considered the National Strategy for Food and Nutrition Security 2025-2034 (ENSAN II), a document that contains measures aimed at ensuring the right to adequate and affordable food for all citizens, through an integrated and sustainable approach, with the participation of civil society and a focus on the progressive increase in the areas of small and large farmers.
ENSAN II emerges as an essential step towards building a robust food and nutrition security system, aiming to achieve the goals established in the Long-Term Strategy (LTS) - Angola 2050, whose strategic development options are incorporated into the National Development Plan (PDN), as a medium-term planning instrument.
It should also be noted that ENSAN II will be integrated into the strategy for transforming agricultural systems into agri-food systems, in line with the deliberations of the Summit of African Heads of State held in Kampala last Jan.
In the area of planning, the Council assessed a proposal to restructure the Informal Economy Reconversion Programme (PREI), designed as a structural public policy to facilitate the transition of informal operators to the formal economy, promoting legal certainty, access to financing and inclusion in social protection systems.
In this PREI's new format, municipal administrations assume responsibility for implementing the Programme.
Health sector
In the area of health, the Local Government Council assessed the Report on the Main Indicators of Major Endemic Diseases for the year 2024, namely Malaria, Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, Cholera and Human African Trypanosomiasis, diseases driven by social and environmental determinants, the national response to which is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In order to control and eliminate major endemic diseases, which are threats to public health, the Executive recommends the adoption of intersectoral approaches by 2030, in order to strengthen health promotion, expand prevention awareness campaign and ensure universal access to early diagnosis, timely treatment and humane care.
The Local Governance Council is a collegiate body that assists the President of the Republic and is responsible for formulating and monitoring the implementation of the governance policies of the State Administration at local level.
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