Luanda - The First Lady of the Republic of Angola, Ana Dias Lourenço, participated in the II Forum of Economists of the Lusophone Economic Association (ALECON), on Friday, at the headquarters of the Union of Portuguese-Speaking Capital Cities.
According to an official note to which ANGOP had access, the First Lady of the Republic praised on the occasion Professor Américo Henriques Ramos dos Santos, who was awarded the honorary title of Economist Emeritus, for his relevant contribution to the development of economic sciences at the level national and international.
Ana Dias Lourenço emphasized the contribution of Américo dos Santos, with whom she established a solid professional relationship over many years of work and cooperation, in her role as Minister of Planning, from 1999 to 2012, the note states.
The additional support was limited to the training and retraining of Angolan staff, with the intellectual notoriety of that professional becoming a mobilizing factor and progress achieved in terms of programming and management of public investment.
Ana Dias Lourenço also highlighted the valuable contribution to the construction of the National Planning System, both from an instrumental and methodological point of view and from its equipping with technicians with the necessary capacity for the conception of economic planning management.
With the support and technical coordination of professor Américo Ramos dos Santos, Angola, in the period between 2003-2004, designed its first Post-Independence Prospective Planning instrument, the famously named Long-Term Strategy “Angola 2025”, with which a new era in the History of Planning has been inaugurated, the document points out.
The elaboration of the 2025 strategy, highlighted Ana Dias Lourenço, represented for her, a relevant period of two years of debate on major economic and social issues, having been a constant in a country where the reconstruction process, in general, and, in particular, the rehabilitation of basic and essential infrastructure for the population was the priority in an economic and social context that demanded from all Angolans, in addition to parsimony, public choices aimed at maximizing the satisfaction of needs.
At CPLP level, given the need to change the economic system and the technical capacity required, Américo dos Santos provided consultancy services in the field of economic and sectoral planning.
The ceremony was also prestigious with the presence of the President of the Republic of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who considered the moment joyful and unforgettable, having decorated the honoree for his distinguished professional career.
When referring to the presence and tribute given by the First Lady, Ana Dias Lourenço, she highlighted her relevance for the words of gratitude addressed to Américo Ramos dos Santos, for the support provided to Angola, as well as highlighting her pride as an economics professional.
In turn, Américo Ramos dos Santos thanked the honor, having highlighted that everything he received and receives is the result of his 60 years of work dedicated to the area of economics and with his knowledge he managed to help Portuguese-speaking countries to follow the best path in the economic domain.
Américo Ramos dos Santos is a retired Professor of Economics at the University of Lisbon (ISEG), after 40 years of public service. In 2023, he completed 60 years of professional activity. He was also a professor at UCP (Institute of European Studies) and INA.
Organized by UCCLA, Alecon - Associação Lusófona de Economia and the Order of Economists, the 2nd Forum of Economists of Portuguese-Speaking Cities under the theme “Multipolarity, Geoeconomics and Lusophony”, featured the intervention of personalities of recognized merit in the domain of the panels addressed, who exercised or exercise functions in international organizations, in addition to being presidents of the Order of Economists.
The closing session was chaired by the President of the Republic of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and was attended by the Angolan ambassador to Portugal, Maria de Jesus Ferreira, diplomats accredited in that Portuguese country, among other individuals.
During the ALECON Economists' Forum, topics related to the role of economic agents in cooperation policy, the EU, multipolarity and Lusophony, the role of the CPLP in the global economy were discussed, presented by officials from different orders, Vice-Prime Minister of Cape Verde, President of the Central Bank of Cape Verde among other dignitaries.
The Forum is a biennial activity, taking place on a rotating basis in the CPLP countries, with the aim of contributing to strengthening the quality of teaching and training in the different areas and specialties of economic science and valuing the principles and values of ethics, demands and professional responsibility. EJM/SEC/ADR/DOJ
