Benguela: The Minister of State for Economic Coordination, José de Lima Massano, assured this Thursday that the package of support and economic relief measures for companies affected by natural disasters covers several provinces of the country, including Benguela. This is the 30 billion kwanzas credit line approved by the Executive to support the recovery of economic activity, focusing on the provinces of Central and Southern Angola, including Benguela, one of the most affected by the rains and floods, Bié, Huíla, and Cunene. According to Angola Press News Agency, José de Lima Massano was speaking during a meeting that the Executive's Economic Team held with representatives of business associations in the province of Benguela, namely the Benguela Business Alliance, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture and Fisheries, and the Livestock Breeders Cooperative, in addition to the Business Technical Group. The official clarified that the funding provided is not limited to the province of Benguela, despite the particular situation experienced in this region due to the rains and the effects of the Cavaco River floods. The Minister of State for Economic Coordination indicated that other regions of the country that have suffered losses caused by natural phenomena will also benefit from this financial facility. He also explained that no sectoral selection has been established, and the mechanism is open to all branches of activity, from livestock farming to agriculture, among other economic sectors. The official reaffirmed that the Executive welcomes private investment, whether national or foreign, adding that support is available to entrepreneurs and companies regardless of their geographical location or the origin of their capital. In the presence of the provincial governor of Benguela, Manuel Nunes Júnior, the Minister of State emphasized that all affected companies will have access to the credit line, without any discrimination regarding the origin of the invested capital. Regarding foreign currency, one of t he concerns raised by business owners, he clarified that the National Bank of Angola will make resources available to commercial banks to allow necessary imports to proceed more quickly. He added that the Executive also counts on the commitment of the National Bank of Angola in the area of ??supervision and regulation, as well as the involvement of commercial banks, underlining that there is a spirit of solidarity among financial operators in the face of the situation of companies affected by natural disasters. "We will seek to ensure that, from our coordination and consultation, what is being made available to companies can be quickly operationalized and actually serve the purpose for which it was created," he indicated. In this sense, he reiterated the Government's commitment and appealed to companies and business associations to act as a bridge between the primary sector and the manufacturing industry. In fact, he recalled that, last year, support solutions were also created for companies affected by act s of vandalism, and the Savings and Credit Bank (BPC) was also involved. However, he noted that several companies faced difficulties in submitting applications within the established deadlines due to non-compliance with some of the required rules. In the government official's understanding, such requirements are not excessive, but necessary, especially since, in his view, it is necessary to know the companies and ensure that they are "up to date with their tax responsibilities." For this reason, he considered it essential to present the minimum necessary documentation, so that the State can ensure this comfort to the business sector affected by situations arising from natural phenomena. Furthermore, he also defended the need to prove that the companies applying for support measures actually suffered damage as a result of natural disasters. Finally, he guaranteed full support to the Savings and Credit Bank in the process of operationalizing the measures, appealing to companies to prioritize organization and commitment, aiming for the success of the process. During the visit of a few hours to the province of Benguela, the Government's economic team assessed the damage caused by the rains in some factory units of the Catumbela Industrial Park, in addition to visiting the Logistics Center where goods destined for the victims of the recent floods of the Cavaco River are being stored.
