NEWS

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Ministry of Public Works inaugurates new bridge over Dando River

In the framework of the Programme for Public Investiments (PIP), Public Works Minister Mr. Higino Carneiro inaugurated the new bridge over the Dande river, located at Porto Kipiri in northern Bengo province. The construction of the USD 21 million bridge, which has an extension of 104 metres, will be followed by the rehabilitation of the Kifandongo-Uíge Road , both works aimed at improving the flow of persons and goods and persons, specially agricultural products.

 

New Business Information Centre in Luanda

A public-private joint-venture headed by the United Nations Programm for Development (UNPD), the Government of Angola (Ministry of Industry, Institute for Industrial Development) and Chevron, amongst its main partners, has implemented a project for the creation of the Business Information Centre, inaugurated in Luanda. The Centre is a facility which will offer info rmation, training and consulting services for small and medium business and private companies.

Head of State reopens in Lubango largest hospital of centre and southern regions

President Mr. José Eduardo dos Santos officially reopened the Central Hospital Agostinho Neto in Lubango, after almost 3 years of rehabilitation works which have been carried out by the Angolan Government, estimated at USD 48 million. The hospital, with two buildings, increased its in-patient capacity from 352 to 520 beds and will serve as reference for Huila and neighbours provinces, benefiting over three million inhabitants of the region. It has also increased service areas from 22 to 27 and now offers haemodialysis, imageology, cystoscopy, plastic surgery, physical rehabilitation, pathologic anatomy and cardiology. The hospital has a team of 80 specialized physicians and general practitioners.

 

New ENDIAMA's joint venture for diamond prospecting in Bie province formalized

National diamond company ENDIAMA's joint venture with the British Canzar Resources and the Angolan Luboia and Nova Angospencer for diamond prospection and research in Luachisse, district of Chitembo, Bie Province, has been formalized by the Angolan Government upon its publication at the Official State Gazette No. 56. The British company, which shares 42% of the association, will be in charge of prospecting investments without interest. ENDIAMA (with 30%) will be in charge of providing technical geological data for the undertaking, while Luboia and Nova Angospencer, minor shareholders, are tasked with the liaison with public authorities and providing security for the prospection area.

Angolan-Cuban agreement brings Cuban physicians to Namibe province

In the framework of the accord signed between the Ministries of Health of the Republic of Angola and the Republic of Cuba, twenty Cuban physicians will be arriving in Namibe Province in June to reinforce the province's medical community, which currently has 51 physicians. According to the local health director, Pedro Viayayauca, the Cuban physicians are specialized in the fields of gynaecology, midwifery, paediatric and surgery, as well as general practice.

 

Angolan airlines opened flight route to Dubai

TAAG Angolan Airlines opened on 12 May 2008 its new flight route to Dubai . The company has scheduled two weekly flights from Luanda to the economic capital of the United Arab Emirates , using a Boeing 777 with capacity to carry 420 passengers.

 

Angola signs agreement with Microsoft

Microsoft has signed a partnership agreement with the Angolan Government for providing training and support in the sphere of info rmation and communications technology (ICT), aimed at the implementation of the country's social and economic development. The agreement was signed by Mr. Pedro Teta, Minister of Science and Technology during the African Forum on Best Practices for ICT, taking place in Burkina Faso in April 2008. Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer, attending the event, announced the opening of a Microsoft headquarter in Angola, as well as the introduction of Angolan words and expressions in the Microsoft spelling check and dictionary software for Portuguese.

 

Cotton production relaunched in Kwanza Sul

Funds in the amount of approximately USD 39 million were already allocated to ensure the start of the project for reintroducing cotton production in the province of Kwanza Sul , in the localities of Ngangula and Kipela, Sumbo city. The project will be funded by the Angolan Government in association with the South Korean company Hanil Engineering and is expected to start by mid April 2008 with the construction of infra-structures and acquisition of equipment and machinery. Kwanza Sul was a major producer of cotton before the independence of Angola in 1975.

 

Imports from Portugal increased 39% since 2005

The President of Portuguese bank BIC, Mr. Luis Amaral, currently in Angola for lecturing seminars for Angolan and foreign investors, declared that Angolan imports from Portugal have increased 39% since 2005. In 2005 Portugal was the major exporter to Angola , representing revenues of approximately EUR 800 million. According to Mr. Amaral, Portuguese companies have great interest in investing in Angola , which is clearly showed by the number of companies already in Angola , which already surpassed 200.

USD 101 billion contract for water supply system for Ondjiva city approved

Ondjiva city, Southern Cunene province, which has until now been insufficiently supplied with drink water from neighbour Namibia will benefit from the construction of a USD 101 billion water system in the framework of a water supply and sanitation steering plan approved by the Angolan Government. The conduction of the works was assigned to the Spanish companies BEFESA – Construction and Environmental Technologies and RIOGERSA.

 

Spanish bank signs EUR 225 million financing agreement with Angolan Finances Ministry for recovering road structures in major cities

Angolan Finances Minister Mr. José Pedro de Morais signed with the Deutsch Bank of Spain a credit line agreement in the amount of EUR 225 million for the rehabilitation of roads in the provinces of Luanda , Kuando Kubango, Moxico and Kwanza Norte.

 

Austrian business mission in Angola (16-19 April 2008): potential investment areas announced

Mr. Stefan Pistauer, Austrian Trade Commissioner for Southern Africa, heading the Austrian business mission in Luanda, outlined the intention of his country for investing in the infra-structures, oil and gas sectors. The announcement was made during a workshop on business opportunities held by ANIP, Angolan National Agency for Private Investment. This is the second time that an Austrian business mission visits Angola. According to Mr. Pistauer, Austrian exports to Angola registered a growth of over 150% upon the realization of the first visit in 2006. Other areas of interest for the Austrian investors are construction, chemical industry and transformation of agricultural products.

 

Non-oil sectors continue showing steady growth

The Portuguese economist and professor or Management and Industrial Economics Mr. Luis Fernando Mira Amaral, speaking in Luanda before the audience of a seminar addressed on high management, addressed to executives of public companies, declared that the Angolan construction sector is expected to register short-term the highest growth rate in the country's economy. In 2006, non-oil sectors that have strongly contributed to the country's economy growth were commerce, banking, insurance, telecommunications, transforming industry (44,7%) and construction (30%)

 

Austrian exports to Angola amounted to USD 13 million in 2007

In 2007 the total of exported goods and services from the Republic of Austria to Angola amounted to USD 13 million, representing an increase of 39%. Commercial relations between the two countries have been showing strong signs of growth and are expected to be strengthened and widened in the short-term. An Austrian delegation comprised by businessmen of different sectors is visiting Angola for the second time. The mission, taking place between 16-19 April was organized by the Angolan Private Investment Agency (ANIP) in cooperation with the Federal Chamber of Economy of Austria.

 

Ministry of Health works on the implementation of biosafety in Angola

The Ministry of Health announced the implementation of the National Programme for Biosafety which will regulate norms and procedures for the workforce in the Angolan health sector, focussing the safe use of equipment and application of measures that will guarantee the safe handling of infectious materials and bio-residues and hospital waste.

 

Angola and South Africa signed cooperation agreement on science and technology 

The governments of Angola and South Africa, represented by their respectives Ministers of Science and Technology signed a comprehensive agreement for extensive bilateral activities in the sector, for the creation of several products and services, as well as basic and advanced human resource training. Investments made in both countries shall be conjoined and consequently set up the basis for a substantial betterment for the lives of the population in both countries.

 

Lufthansa opens new flight route between Frankfurt and Luanda 

Luanda is already one of the flights destinations of German carrier Lufthansa. The airline opened the Frankfurt-Luanda flight route with an Airbus A340-300, with capacity for 250 passengers in a three-class cabin. Lufthansa's Vice-President, Joachim Steinbach, was amongst the passengers of the inaugural flight. Lufthansa will be flying once a week between Angola and Germany, providing customers with comfortable direct connections from Frankfurt .

 

Valorisation of the Angolan currency “ Kwanza ” reached 50% in the past 6 years

The Minister of Finances, Pedro de Morais, declared that the value of the Angolan national currency “ Kwanza ” (AOA) which could be stabilized in the past 6 years after the ending of the armed conflict, has been showing signs of steady valorisation, bringing benefits not only to the economic sector, but also welfare for the country's population.

 

USD 32 million for housing and commercial development in Downtown Luanda

Portuguese real state company “Abrantina Investimento Imobiliário – Grupo Lena” invested the amount of USD 32 million in the construction of a residential and commercial complex in Downtown Luanda, over an area of 16 thousand square meters. In a press release, the company stated that Angola is currently one of the largest developing economies and its speedy rate of growth creates the necessity for more real state investments, especially in the capital of Luanda. Abrantina operates in the Angolan market since 1992 and expects to achieve an annual business volume of USD 14 million.

 

Road rehabilitation generated 16 thousand jobs since 2002 – National programme to recover 4,000 kilometres of roads in 2008

Road infrastructure rehabilitation projects between 2003 and 2007 under the responsibility of the Roads Institute of Angola (INEA) generated until 2006 16 thousand jobs, benefiting mostly internal displaced populations and demobilized soldiers. For 2008, the Special Programme of Rehabilitating National Roads expects to conclude the rehabilitation of 4,835 kilometres of road infrastructures, aimed to restore road circulation in the whole country and boost the main economic activities in the agriculture, trade and industry sectors. The programme, carried out by over 50 construction companies (29 national and 25 foreign firms), concluded already the construction of 57 bridges.

 

Minister of Transport announced construction of the new Luanda Harbour

During the opening ceremony of the Third Consultative Council of the Harbour of Luanda , the Minister of Transport, André Luís Brandão, announced the laying this year of the foundation stone for the construction of the new Harbour of Luanda , at Dande Bay . The future port shall be twice as bigger that the current harbour of Luanda , doubling to 32 the current moorings capacity. The undertaken is aimed to meet the country's demands, resulting from the economic growth being registered.

 

130 companies participated in the fair of suppliers to the oil sector

According to information from the Centre for Business Support, 130 participating companies, both national and international, took part at the Fair of Suppliers to the Oil Industry, held in Luanda at the beginning of April 2008. The fair was organized with the purpose to enable small and medium to present its services and contact potential clients in the oil sector. The Centre for Business Support is a project of the Angolan oil industry created in 2005 and offers advisory and consulting services for companies related to the oil sector.

 

Provinces register growth of investments upon improvement of infra-structures

The Angolan provinces of Huambo, Benguela, Malanje, Huila, Kwanza Norte, Zaire, Uige and other regions have been registering a steady growth rate in the industrial and agricultural sector. Mr. Kiala Ngone Gabriel, Director-General of the Institute for Industrial Developmente (IDIA), appointed this as a result of the enhancement of the infra-structures, specially those related to highways, electricity and water supply.

 

Sugar cane and ethanol production in Cunene Province

The governmental authorities of Cunene province presented in Ondjiva, the province's capital, a project for production of sugar cane and ethanol with the aim of responding to the national demand of sugar and etanol and leaving a substantial surplus for export. The project will be developed over 302 acres in the localities of Maquete (Ombandjia municipality), Cova do Leão, Kahama and Kubati communi (Kuvelai municipality). The project, currently awaiting approval of the Agriculture Ministry, is expected to create about 7 thousand new jobs.

 

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