Day: July 3, 2023

Angolan head of State João Lourenço asked the new boss of the General Inspectorate of State Administration (IGAE) Ângelo de Barros Veiga Tavares to keep the visibility gained by the institution in recent years.

The president made the call during the swearing in ceremony of the new Inspector General of IGAE, Ângelo de Barros Veiga Tavares, this Monday.

The head of State also swore in the new deputy governor of the National Bank of Angola (BNA) Maria Juliana de Fontes Pereira and the executive director of this financial institution Maria de Fátima Trindade Poças.

The Head of State said that he expects from the new officials “all the dedication to work in order to fulfill with success the functions to which they were appointed.

Prior to his appointment to the new position, Ângelo Tavares was adviser to the President of the Republic, after having been Minister of the Interior.

He takes over from Sebastião Ngunza, who becomes Chief Justice of the Court of Auditors

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

The new Inspector General of State Administration (IGAE) Ângelo de Barros da Veiga Tavares Monday guaranteed that he will contribute to the promotion of good governance.

IGAE boss made the pledge after being sworn in by the President João Lourenço, stressing the importance to contribute with actions of education and awareness for civil servants, so that the structures of the central and local administration of the State fulfill their responsibilities.

Speaking to the press, the Inspector General also pledged to cooperate with the institutions, such as the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) and the Constitutional Court.

Ângelo de Barros da Veiga Tavares said that the cooperation of the IGAE will extend to the Ministries of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Criminal Investigation bodies and the Financial Information Unit.

In addition to Ângelo Tavares, the President swore in the new deputy governor of the National Bank of Angola (BNA) Maria Juliana de Carvalho Van-Dúnem de Fontes Pereira and the Executive Administrator of the Board of Directors of this financial institution, Maria de Fátima Trindade Poças.

Prior to his appointment to the new position, Ângelo Tavares was adviser to the President of the Republic, after having been Minister of the Interior.

He takes over from Sebastião Ngunza, who becomes Chief Justice of the Court of Auditors

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Angolan government discussed Monday a Draft Law that authorises the President, as holder of the Executive Power, to legislate on the incentives to be attributed to the concession area of Block 20 /11.

This was during the meeting of the Cabinet Council, chaired by the head of State João Lourenço on Monday in Luanda.

The members of the Cabinet Council reviewed the Draft Presidential Legislative Decree on norms that will regulate the attribution of new incentives to prospecting, research, evaluation, development and production of hydrocarbons in the concession area of the Block 20/11.

Also in the oil and gas sector, the session endorsed the Presidential Decree approving the Amendment to the Concession Area Contract, also for Block 20/11.

The move is meant to integrate the areas of Blocks 21/09 and 20/15 into the said concession zone, with a view to enabling their economic development, as well as enabling the transformation of oil potential into commercial wealth and mitigating the decline in crude oil production.

The participants also approved the Presidential Decree on Amendments to the Production Sharing Contract for Block 20/11, in order to ensure the implementation of the terms and conditions agreed in the addendum to the Production Sharing Contract for Block (20/11).

This is an addendum to the contract signed by the National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels, Total Energies, EP Angola and Sonangol Pesquisa e Produção, S.A.

The Monday’s meeting also considered the Presidential Decree approving the Production Sharing Contract between the National Concessionaire (Sonangol) and the Empreiteiro Group made up of Azule Energy Angola B.V. and Equinor Angola Block 31/21 AS.

The Decree provides for the associated development of petroleum activities in this area of the Lower Congo maritime zone.

Mining Prospecting Rights

Still in the field of oil and gas, the members approved the Presidential Decree that enables the Attribution of Mining Rights for Prospecting, Research, Development and Production of Liquid and Gaseous Hydrocarbons in the Concession Area of Block 16/21.

The approval focuses on the joint exploration of the said Block, based on the Production Sharing Contract signed between the National Concessionaire and TOTAL Energies EP Angola.

Exploration of Fuel Filling Stations

The meeting also gave green light to the Presidential Decree approving the Regulation on the Issuance of Licenses for the Exploitation of Fuel Filling Stations.

The document establishes the norms and procedures for issuing a license to operate a Fuel Filling Station, for commercial purposes, and implementation of the measures defined in the SIMPLIFICA 2.0 Project, as part of the State Reform.

The document also ensures the transfer to the Municipal Administrations of competence to issue operating licenses for Fuel Supply Stations with a storage capacity of up to 200 cubic meters and to extend the period of validity of the license should be implemented.

Price regime related to the concession area of the new Natural Gas Consortium

The Cabinet Council approved a Presidential Decree that establishes the transfer pricing regime applicable to certain commercial operations in the Concession Area of the New Natural Gas Consortium.

The focus of the Decree is the stability and economic viability of the project, through the creation of fiscal contractual rules that meet the economic and commercial specificities of the transactions associated with the Project.

Bilateral cooperation

As for bilateral cooperation, the meeting approved the Agreement between Angola and the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) on Privileges and Immunities, for Hosting the 26th Interpol African Regional Conference, this year.

In the field of education, the meeting approved the diplomas referring to the Legal regimes of the General and Secondary Technical-Professional Education Subsystem.

The 5th ordinary session of the Cabinet Council also approved the Organic Statute of the National Service for Copyright and Related Rights (SENADIAC), Body of Indirect State Administration.

SENADIAC is in charge of the administrative management of the National System of Copyright and Related Rights and ensures compliance with legislation on the matter.

The objective is to provide culture creators and other agents with the enjoyment of the corresponding rights, for the well-being of all, thus promoting creativity and innovation and boosting the development of cultural and creative industries

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Angolan head of State João Lourenço arrived Monday in the province of Benguela to witness the ceremony for the transfer of the concession of rail services and logistics support for the Lobito Corridor.

At Catumbela airport, João Lourenço was welcomed by the provincial governor, Luís Nunes, and members of the Executive.

The ceremony will take place on Tuesday (4th) in Lobito, coastal Benguela province.

Heads of State from Zambia Hakainde Hichilema and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Félix Tshisekedi are expected on Tuesday in the province of Benguela for the event.

Zambia and the DRC share border with Angola and are linked to the Lobito corridor project.

The three heads of State are expected to deliver speech, according to the programme reached ANGOP this Monday.

The programme includes the transfer notice for the concession of rail and logistics services to support the Lobito Corridor to the Lobito Atlantic Railway consortium, the inauguration of the fiber optic link between Angola and Zambia, by video call.

Lobito Atlantic Railway consortium is made up of Trafigura, Vecturis and Mota Engil, the winner of the international competition on November 4, 2022.

It is responsible for transporting heavy loads as well as maintaining the infrastructure of the Benguela Railway (CFB).

In turn, the CFB will be in charge of transporting passengers and lighter loads.

Lobito Corridor extends from the port of Lobito, bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, and crosses Angola from West to East, passing through the provinces of Benguela, Huambo, Bié and Moxico.

It covers the mining areas of Katanga province in the DRC and Copperbelt in Zambia.

The corridor represents the shortest route to a port from the mineral-rich areas of DRC and Zambia.

For the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the corridor is crucial for development in the region, with benefits for Angola and neighbouring countries (DRC and Zambia).

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Angolan authorities have recorded in the last 8 years 142 cases of human trafficking, said Monday the national director of Human Rights, Yannick Bernardo.

The official released the statistics while speaking on the sidelines of the “training and awareness workshop on human trafficking for media professionals”.

He mentioned 26 cases as being sentenced and three acquitted.

However, he noted that, in the context of combating human trafficking, “there has been, since 2014, an Inter-ministerial Commission that outlines strategies to oppose actions related to human trafficking”.

Yannick Bernardo blamed the cases of human trafficking for the longest border, prompting the national authorities to enhance surveillance.

In view of the harmful effects of these acts, the official stressed the need for the media to help raise society’s awareness of the phenomenon.

The training meeting on human trafficking is attended by 25 journalists from different public and private agencies.

Angola approved, in 2020, the first National Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Human Beings in the country, as part of the National Strategy for Human Rights.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

An illegal arms and anti-terrorism case trial started Monday in Seychelles’ Supreme Court.

The persons charged in the case are prominent businessman Mukesh Valabjhi and his wife Laura, a lawyer. Also charged in the same case are Leslie Benoiton – a senior officer in the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF), Leopold Payet – a former chief of the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces [the former name of the Seychelles Defence Forces]- and Frank Marie – a retired lieutenant colonel and presidential chief security officer.

The presiding judge, Chief Justice Rony Govinden, began the hearing of the case, which relates to more than 100 firearms and over 35,000 rounds of ammunition recovered from the Valabjhi’s home at Morne Blanc during a search on November 18.

This came after the couple was arrested in relation to a case of money laundering of a missing $50 million of funds granted to the government of Seychelles by the United Arab Emirates in 2002.

All the accused appeared before the Supreme Court and were read their amended charges amended by the prosecution on Wednesday, June 28. All the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The trial was initially set for April but was delayed following the application for the recusal of Justice Govinden as the presiding trial judge, which was dismissed on June 1.

Immediately before setting the new date for trial, Govinden had unblocked the couple’s overseas accounts – which were frozen at the request of the Anti-Corruption Commission of Seychelles (ACCS).

Despite the court releasing the couple’s funds in Singapore, they argued again on Monday that they had been unable to pay for their international counsel due to their bank accounts still being frozen.

When addressing the court, Laura Valabhji – a prominent lawyer by profession -explained that the Central Bank in Singapore had not released the funds as they were yet to receive ‘proof of release from the Seychelles Courts”.

Govinden replied that since the courts had already ordered the funds to be released, it was up to the accused and their lawyers to sort out the payment issues.

He added that as technology has evolved there should be ways for the counsel to appear online to represent the couple together with the others representing them- namely France Bonte and Samantha Aglae.

Meanwhile, prosecution counsel, Stephen Powles, made his opening statement before the Supreme Court, providing a summary of the case so far, which included the five accused arrests and how some of the weapons were found in concealed places in the Valahbji couple’s residence at Morne Blanc.

The Court adjourned until Tuesday morning when the prosecution will bring in its first witnesses in the case.

Source: Seychelles News Agency