Day: October 15, 2021

Luanda – Angolan president João Lourenço announced Friday the visit of his Turkish counterpart Recept Tayip Erdogan in the next few days to Angola, aimed at strengthening the bilateral cooperation.

João Lourenço, who was addressing the Nation at the opening of the 4th Legislature’s Parliamentary Year, visited to Turkey in July this year.

The two countries signed cooperation agreements in various fields.

During his stay, João Lourenço attended a business forum with dozens of Turkish businessmen, having presented Angola’s economic potential and the multiple initiatives aimed at progressively improving the business environment.

Diplomatic relations between Angola and Turkey date back to 1980 and are supported by cooperation agreements in several domains, covering sectors such as trade, agriculture, education, culture, defence, justice and sport.

Turkey investments in Angola are based in the provinces of Luanda and Uíge, in the areas of industry, commerce, education and civil construction.

Last June, delegations from both countries analysed cooperation in the transport sector, with stress to the civil aviation and railway infrastructure, opening the way for Turkish businessmen to invest in the maritime-port and railway sub-sectors.

According to the schedule, the first Turkish Airlines flight, between Istanbul and Luanda, last Wednesday (13), under a sharing agreement between the Turkish airline and TAAG.

For the two connections between the two capitals (on Wednesday and Friday), Turkish Airlines must use an Airbus 330-200 aircraft with capacity for 250 passengers, 22 in business class and 238 in economy class.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Luanda – Angolan head of State João Lourenço has conveyed a massage of hope to Angolans during his State of the Nation Speech delivered Friday at the National Assembly in Luanda.

João Lourenço announced, among other measures, the reduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT) amount, as of 2022, and the strategies to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic and the high prices in Angola.

In his speech, the Angolan statesman also underlined the importance of boosting policies to gradually meet the population’s desires and ensure the Executive’s commitment to fight against corruption and impunity.

João Lourenço pointed out the impact of Covid-19 on the country’s socioeconomic life and referred to the measures to halt the spread of the pandemic, strategies to improve the business environment and macroeconomic projections.

As for fiscal performance, the Incumbent of Executive Power highlighted his preponderance in the budget reinforcement and in the increase of public investment, having informed that the updated fiscal revenue projections indicate an increase in revenue of 26 percent of the 2021 State Budget, estimated at 13.5 billion kwanzas.

President João Lourenço defended a “prudent fiscal policy”, with a view to the resumption of economic growth in the country.

In another area, the Head of State spoke of the increase in the number of violent crimes in the country in recent months and demanded, in this regard, greater commitment from the National Police in combating this evil and in controlling private security companies.

In his message, the statesman expressed concern about the growing cases of diamond mining and other miners, which he considered an attack on national sovereignty.

With regard to the reform of justice and law, he highlighted the ongoing work to help the drought situation in the south of the country, mainly in the provinces of Cunene, Huíla and Namibe.

President João Lourenço highlighted the importance of the ongoing programmes to support the neediest families and ex-military personnel, having, on the other hand, indicated the ongoing investments in the health, education and fight against poverty sectors and in the field of research scientific.

He highlighted the latest achievement of the national women’s handball team in Yaoundé (Cameroon), the growth of the non-oil sector, investments in the construction of new refineries and the ocean terminal in barra do Dande, in the northern Bengo province.

In his speech, João Lourenço, who has been in office since September 26, 2017, also defended the increase in feed production, to support agricultural and livestock production.

In the industry segment, he indicated the good results being achieved in salt production, with Benguela standing out with 74 percent.

On the proposal to change the political-administrative division, he said that the commitment to reducing regional asymmetries and bringing public services closer to the population is a medium-term project that will not be restricted until the next elections scheduled for 2022.

The project covers the provinces of Malanje, Cuando Cubango, Moxico, Lunda Norte and Uíge.

As for the national reconciliation process, the statesman reiterated the Executive’s commitment to carrying out tasks related to the victims of conflicts that occurred in the country from 1975 to 2002.

On Angola’s foreign policy, he highlighted economic diplomacy and the contribution of the Angolan authorities to the different regional organisations.

Under the terms of the regulations of the National Assembly (AN), the legislature comprises five legislative sessions or parliamentary years, with each cycle beginning on October 15th and ending on August 15th of the following year.

Therefore, this was the last speech on the State of the Nation of the current term of the President of the Republic, João Lourenço.

The message on the State of the Nation is addressed to the country by the President of the Republic, at the opening of the 2021/2022 Parliamentary year.

The event complies with a legal imperative that began after the coming into force of the Constitution of the Republic, in 2010.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Cuito – Secretary of State for the Interior José Bamóquina Zau requested Friday the population’s help in denouncing suspected offenders, in order to reduce crime rates in the country.

Speaking to the press in Cuito, central Bie province, after a courtesy meeting with the provincial governor, Pereira Alfredo, on Friday, the secretary of state acknowledged that there was a wave of crime, especially in Luanda and Benguela.

But he assured that the authorities are committed to fighting against the phenomenon.

Despite the efforts made by police, he stressed, it is necessary that good citizens help in this task to reverse the situation and restore the feeling of security and tranquility in the country.

Despite the trend of increasing crime rates, José Bamóquina Zau stated that the situation is under police control.

During his stay in the province, the Secretary of State for the Interior visits the integrated services under construction in the municipalities of Andulo and Cuito, under the Integrated Plan for Intervention in Municipalities (PIIM).

Estimated at AKz 646.7 million, the works are in charge of the construction company ANIL- Grupo.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Luanda -Angolan Head of State João Lourenço Friday in Luanda met with the former President of Namibia, Sam Nujoma, with whom he discussed issues of common interest.

At the end of the audience, Sam Nujoma told the press that the meeting served to expressed gratitude for the support Angola extended to Namibian people during the struggle for Namibia’s independence.

“Namibia would still remain under colonial rule, if it did not receive Angola’s support. Therefore, we are here to express our respect and gratitude to the Angolan Government and people,” he said.

After gaining independence on 11 November 1975, Angola allowed the South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO, of Namibia) and the African National Congress (ANC, of South Africa) to use its territory, so that both organisations could carry out the political, diplomatic and armed struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa.

This support led to Namibia’s independence on March 21, 1990.

Sam Nujoma, founding member and first president of SWAPO, served three terms as the first President of Namibia, from 1990 to 2005.

Angola and Namibia maintain excellent relations of friendship and bilateral cooperation.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Luanda – Angolan Health authorities announced Friday the recovery of 281 patients, 221 new cases and 7 deaths, in the last 24 hours.

As for the recoveries, 194 are residing in Luanda, 37 in Uíge, 22 in Huambo, 21 in Benguela, 4 in Cabinda and 3 in Bié.

The New cases were detected in Luanda with 124, Benguela 22, Cuanza Norte 19, Uíge 18, Cabinda 14, Huambo 12, Malanje 6, Huíla 2, Zaire 2, Bié 1 and Cunene 1.

The deaths occurred in Benguela with 4, Huíla 2 and Bengo 1.

Angola has totaled 62,606 cases, 1,660 deaths, 50,584 recoveries and 10,362 active patients.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Luanda – Central African Republic (CAR) president Faustin-Archange Touadéra announced Friday (15) “a unilateral ceasefire” by the army in the conflict with rebel groups.

“Tonight I announce the end of military operations and of any armed action throughout the national territory, starting (…) this midnight,” he announced on state radio, quoted by French news agency AFP.

The rebels accepted the truce with the exception of the two leading organisations.

The announcement comes as a result of efforts undertaken by the International Conference on Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), chaired the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço.

According to Faustin Touadéra, the immediate ceasefire is a demonstration (…) of his “firm will to promote the path of dialogue” with the rebel groups.

Considered the second least developed country in the world by the UN, CAR has been plunged into a bloody civil war since a coup d’état in 2013.

According to the AFP agency, this conflict has diminished in intensity over the past three years, but the central government still does not control much of the territory.

At its third Mini-Summit, held in Luanda, last September, ICGLR had encouraged the Government of the Central African Republic to declare a ceasefire as “as urgent as possible” in order to pave the way for peace in that country.

At the time, the ICGLR Heads of State and Government considered the ceasefire declaration “an essential factor for the success of the entire process and the creation of a favourable climate for peace and national reconciliation”.

The meeting reaffirmed the need to revive the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation, negotiated in Khartoum, Sudan.

The agreement was signed on February 6, 2019, in Bangui (CAR), as a reference in the search for a lasting solution to the Central African crisis.

Source: Angola Press News Agency