Luanda - The Ordinary Council of Ministers of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has called for a quick implementation of the Regional Development Fund (RDF).
The RDF aims to provide financing on favourable terms for several projects, including infrastructure and social development, industrialization and integration in the SADC region.
According to the body's press release to which ANGOP had access on Sunday (March 16), the appeal was made during the meeting held in Harare, Republic of Zimbabwe, from March 12 to 14, 2025.
The document states that the collegial body noted the SADC-RDF's advantages and approved the decision of the Ministers of Finance and Investment to accelerate its implementation, taking into account the current global geopolitical developments that affect the financing of programmes and projects, both at national and regional level.
Angola participated in the forum with a delegation led by the minister of Planning, Victor Hugo Guilherme, in his capacity as Vice-President of the SADC National Committee.
The delegation included the secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for International Cooperation and Angolan Communities, Domingos Custódio Vieira Lopes, the secretary of State for Budget, Juciene Clara Daniel Cristiano de Sousa, the SADC's National Secretary, Nazaré Salvador, the Ambassador of Angola to Zimbabwe, Agostinho Tavares, and the Ambassador of Angola to Botswana and Permanent Representative to SADC, Beatriz Morais.
The Council reviewed the SADC Annual Corporate Plan and Budget for the 2025/26 Financial Year, in support of the key regional priorities set out in the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP 2020-2030).
The year 2025 marks the midpoint in the implementation of the RISDP 2020-2030, which defines six strategic priority areas. This includes the fundamental pillar of peace, security and good governance, as well as key focus areas: industrial development and market integration, infrastructure development to support regional integration, and development of social and human capital.
Angola, South Africa, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe are SADC's member countries.
SADC is a Regional Economic Community created in 1992, in the Treaty of Windhoek, capital of Namibia, with the aim of promoting socio-economic development and sustainable and equitable economic growth.
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