Catete - The first governor of the Province of Icolo e Bengo, Auzílio de Oliveira Jacob, began his duties Friday in the town of Catete, with the signing and delivery of the Term of Transfer of Portfolios.
The ceremony, led by the minister of Territorial Administration, Dionísio Manuel da Fonseca, concludes the process of institutionalizing the Province of Icolo e Bengo, which emerged from the new Politico-Administrative Division (DPA).
On the occasion, minister Dionísio da Fonseca stressed that the new DPA, which led to the elevation of Icolo e Bengo to the category of province, aims to provide economic and social benefits for citizens.
With the new DPA, the government hopes to ensure an adequate response capacity to the challenges of providing public services closer to the population and to provide a fairer and more balanced distribution of the national territory, the leader stressed.
The governor of Icolo e Bengo was asked to make use of the existing local manpower, to place them in areas according to their skills, to continue to guarantee the normal functioning of Icolo e Bengo, previously a municipality of Luanda and now a province.
In turn, the Provincial governor of Luanda, Luis Nunes, after handing over the portfolios, said that it was a historic moment in the country, with the new territorial configuration that led to the creation of the province of Icolo e Bengo, reiterating his support for his counterpart, since the territory of Luanda shares numerous
infrastructures with the new province.
Governor Auzílio Jacob expressed his honour at having been entrusted with the destiny of the new territorial unit, and promised to do everything possible to ensure that socioeconomic development is notable in this region of the country.
He considered that the creation of the Icolo e Bengo Province is not merely a political act, but also an administrative one, aimed at improving the well-being of the population. With an estimated population of 131,268 inhabitants, the new province of Icolo e Bengo emerged with the approval of the new DPA, on 14 August 2024, in the National Assembly (parliament).
It has seven municipalities and 11 communes, namely Icolo e Bengo (with the communes of Catete, Cassoneca, Caculo Cahango and Caxicane), Quiçama (Muxima, Kixinje, Demba Xio and Mumbundo) and the other municipalities still without discriminated communes such as Calumbo, Cabiri, Cabo Ledo, Bom Jesus and Sequele.
With Icolo e Bengo also emerged two other new provinces, totaling 21, in addition to 326 municipalities and 378 communes.
The three new provinces resulted from the division of the province of Moxico (Moxico-Leste), Cuando Cubango (Cubango) and Luanda (Icolo e Bengo).
CLAU/SEC/TED/jmc
