Luanda - Political analyst Bernardino Neto considered this Wednesday, in Luanda Province, that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) could boost its economic sector, if Angola is in its presidency.
Speaking to ANGOP, regarding the 43rd Summit of Heads of State and Government of the body, taking place in Luanda from the 7th to the 17th of the current month, he said that the country's leadership will constitute an element of crucial importance for SADC.
To him, with Angola in the presidency of the organization, it will strengthen trade in the region and also across the continent and for that the member states, especially Angola, must implement the priority related to industrialization and investment in human capital.
According to the expert, to make possible the industrialization sector, the countries of the region will have to invest in staff and in infrastructures.
According to the expert, to make the industrialization of the sector viable, the countries in the region will have to train staff and build infrastructure.
He reminded that the SADC main focus is industrialization, which in South Africa is well advanced due to their strategy on building infrastructure for the processing and export of minerals.
Bernardino Neto added that SADC has an Industrialization Roadmap up to the year 2050, which essentially aims to facilitate the creation of value chains in the economies of the 16 Member States, aimed mainly at agribusiness.
He said that the document also aims to allow the continuation of the mining process in South Africa, in order to expand the trade in mines throughout the region.
The expert understands that another important factor for regional industrialization is supported by the tourism sector, as a way of diversifying local economies.
Regarding this, the political analyst stated that Angola, upon assuming the rotating Presidency of SADC, "must have a badge", that is, join, by 2024, the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in the region, after more than a decade of waiting.
However, he recognized that it is a difficult and complex process, throughout which the businesspeople and the private sector should be strong so that the country can be able to exchange products from the largest economy in the region which is South Africa.
“In order to industrialize we need to invest in the economy, which is a priority of the National Development Plan, plan by the Government for 2023-2027, which brings human capital, coinciding with the motto of the Summit”, he said.
The analyst also emphasized that the Presidency of Angola will have to focus on training staff, especially young people, and in the revision of the Strategic Indicative Plan for Regional Development.
On the other hand, he recalled that Africa as a whole participates in world trade with just 3%, that is, more than USD 2 billion, of which USD 700 billion comes from the Southern African region, SADC.
According to the source, the sub-regional blocks namely Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), East African Community (EAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), will provide other amounts.
“Within this set of sub-regional blocks, I can say that SADC is the engine of regional integration”, concluded the analyst.
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