Luanda - The minister of National Defence and Homeland Veterans, João Ernesto dos Santos, Wednesday in Luanda pledged to mobilise financial resources to continue developing the country’s military industry and increase production levels in 2023.
The minister, who was addressing a yearend greetings message, said next year the intensification of the military training has been planned to promote professionalism and to expand in short and medium term programmes to improve weapons, technical equipment and high quality equipment.
Another priority is the construction and upgrading of barracks and education infrastructures to ensure multi-faceted training, in accordance with the characteristics of each military region, thereby strengthening the engineering battalions and military construction.
Also, next year, the production of uniforms and footwear will continue to ensure self-sufficiency for the Armed Forces.
In relation to the year about to end, the minister listed some progress, such as the restructuring and resizing process underway in the sector, with the production of important legislative initiatives to regulate its activity.
The minister added that the Basic Draft-Law of the National Defence Organisation, of the Organisation and Functioning of the Angolan Armed Forces, the Special Protection of Former Combatants and Homeland Veterans and of the Military Service are currently in the approval phase, in the relevant bodies.
As regards the Military Education system, the process was revised and adapted to current requirements boosting internal military training from the 2017-2022 period, with 15,66 military personnel having been trained in the country and 1,49 outside national territory.
In terms of infrastructure, the minister said that the Soyo naval base and the Central Military Hospital were being refurbished, construction of the Lobito and Namibe Regional Maritime Surveillance Centres, as well as building the Luanda Maritime Coordination and Surveillance Centre.
The construction of the new Luanda Main Military Hospital and three regional hospitals in the provinces of Cabinda, Moxico and Huambo are also due to take place in the coming year.
In relation to former combatants and veterans of the country, João Ernesto dos Santos explained that 77,519 people had been registered, with some 1,124 that benefited from housing in different provinces.
The minister underlined that at least 80,457 pensioners were included in the pension payment system, of which 46,128 were pensioners, 64 were invalids and 34,265 were survivors.
