Benguela – The adoption of measures to correct and prevent acts of vandalization of railway infrastructures is one of the recommendations of the 15th Consultative Council of the Ministry of Transport (MINTRANS), which closed on Friday, in Lobito City, coastal Benguela Province.
At a time when the vandalization of railway infrastructures has reached worrying levels, MINTRANS urges the concerned bodies to continuously initiate investigation and prevention actions, in order to curb this practice, which causes safety problems.
For example, of the three public companies that make up the Angolan railway network, the Luanda Railway (CFL) is the most targeted by vandals, which has already caused losses in excess of 13 billion kwanzas in the first quarter of this year alone.
The participants also defend the carrying out of educational activities on road traffic and railway circulation.
The meeting recommended that scales or weighing stations be implemented on national roads, for better monitoring and inspection of vehicles at border level and the conservation of roads.
The boosting of railway infrastructures through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP's) was also highlighted, as well as the implementation of the actions of the National Road Safety Plan.
MINTRANS advisors also want investments in more environmentally friendly means of transport, in accordance with the national climate change strategy. In addition to publicizing the Automobile Guarantee Fund in favor of those injured or victims of traffic accidents, they also suggest the creation of conditions for
the country to benefit from United Nations funds for road safety.
Civil Aviation Subsector
In this area, it was proposed to review airport taxes and fees, and to continue the “Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) Angola” program as one of the pillars of the national structure of the civil aviation industry.
Another important point is that the challenges of the national flag airliner, TAAG, are faced in implementing SAATM, as drivers of interconnectivity in Africa.
Ports
The implementation of corrective measures to overcome non-conformities identified during the OMI 2024 (Voluntary) and USAP CMA2018 Audits must continue to be prioritized, with emphasis on the training and certification of professionals in the subsectors. In this way, they predict that these professionals will be prepared to deal with the demands of the demanding technical-regulatory context of supervision and inspection.
The implementation of cybersecurity strategies and the promotion of continuous training on the dynamics of new technologies and exchange
of experiences between national ports endorse the final communiqué.
Logistics Subsector
Ministerial Departments and private entities in the logistics chain were urged to cooperate in order to provide information for the collection of information for the registration of all logistics structures.
Another recommendation is to promote the integration of the National Network of Logistics Platforms with that of transport, seeking to capitalize on intermodality in favor of economic growth and the internationalization of the economy. It is also necessary to invest in accelerating the development of infrastructures for cold logistics, in addition to approving the operating and supervision model of the Barra
do Dande Free Trade Zone.
Conclusions
One of the main conclusions was that the implementation of the Consolidation Program for Structural Reforms in the Transport sector – PRO-CREST, will serve as a basis for measuring and accelerating the performance of the sector's regulatory bodies.
PRO-CREST will be based on three main pillars: regulation, supervision and inspection, so essential to operationalize and guarantee compliance with established norms and standards.
The sustainability of the development of the Civil Aviation, Maritime and Port subsectors is essential to boost the growth of the national economy and allow the achievement of the objectives established by the Executive's long-term strategy.
Presided over by the minister of Transport, Ricardo Viegas D´Abreu, the event took place on the 6th and 7th of June, in the city of Lobito, Province of Benguela, under the motto “Consolidating reforms in the sector and promoting Angola into a regional transport hub and logistics.” Under analysis was the consolidation of reforms that aim to grant greater regulatory and supervisory powers to the regulatory entities of the different subsectors and the paths to be taken to create a true and profitable regional transport and logistics hub.
The challenges of transport and urban mobility, along with human capital training, also filled the event, which brought together around 190 participants,, among staff from the Ministerial Department, agencies, public institutes, public companies and provincial directors.
The 15th Consultative Council of the Ministry of Transport also took place in a virtual format, and was attended by around 509 professionals from the sector and other interested parties.
JH/CRB/TED/jmc
