Economic Commission approves bases for 2023/27 Development Programme

 Luanda - The Economic Commission of the Cabinet Council on Friday approved the document containing the general bases for drawing up the National Development Plan 2023-2027.

Speaking to the press at the end of the session, the secretary of State for Planning, Milton Reis, said the drawing up process of the PND 2023-2023 should be concluded in the first quarter of 2023.

 

He added that this is the period when the Executive will be in a position to approve the aforementioned important planning instrument.

 

The official said that the PDN 2023-2027, will be aligned with the 2022-2027 Government Programme: It is focused on the pillars of human capital development, modernisation and expansion of the country's infrastructure and intensification of the of the economic diversification process.

 

The approved document, for the preparation of the PDN, highlights the plan´s programmes to be designed based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which can contribute to improving human assets and economic vulnerability rates, which are fundamental for the graduation of Angola into a medium development country.

Angola elected to UN Human Rights Council body

 Luanda – The Consultative Committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Friday elected Professor Sebastião Isata, a candidate proposed by Angola, in the process of renewing this body, which is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

According to the statement from the Press Office of the Angolan Permanent Mission in Geneva, Angola’s candidate received the support of the 47 member states of the HRC.

 

The Angolan candidate met the main technical criteria required, namely competence, experience and recognized academic profile in the field of human rights, as well as a high moral reputation, independence and impartiality.

 

The document said that Sebastião Isata´s candidacy was approved by the African Union (AU) Heads of State Summit held in February 2022.

 

The HRC replaced the former Human Rights Commission in Geneva. Its main purpose is to advise the General Assembly on situations where human rights are violated.

State General Account reaches revenue of Kz 15.22 billion

 Luanda – The State General Account related to the 2021 economic year recorded a nominal surplus of 793.99 billion kwanzas and a total revenue collected at 15.22 billion kwanzas.

According to the final report of the first ordinary meeting of the Economic Commission of the Cabinet Council, which was chaired by President João Lourenço, the document also recorded a total executed expenditure of 14.42 billion kwanzas.

 

The Economic Commission also approved the Balance Sheet Report of the State General Budget (OGE) Execution related to the second quarter of 2022, a document that presents data and records on its execution regarding the budgetary, financial and patrimonial balance sheet.

 

According to the final report, this first meeting also served to approve the report that presents the expenditure limits for the drafting of the 2023 State Budget.

 

The document shows the sectoral spending limits for the budget system bodies and emphasises that the social sector will continue to have priority in the allocation of resources, which is expected to represent 44% of total effective expenditure, within the framework of strengthening the national health and education systems.

 

With this percentage, the Executive intends to reinforce the support to be provided to families through measures with the objective to protect revenues, jobs and construction of needed infrastructures for the development.

Minister of Finance advises students to have critical thinking

 Luanda –The minister of Finance, Vera Daves, exhorted students this Saturday to develop critical thinking, in order to face fallacious arguments in social media or in any other circumstance in life.

Speaking at a master lecture that served to open the Catholic University of Angola (UCAN)’s 2022/2023 academic year, the minister stated that in addition to all its potentialities, critical thinking is currently the most powerful tool to tackle collectively the fake news situation, false narratives and other outliers, usually defamatory of someone or some institution. 

 

“You students today are part of the digital area, against the background of digital immigrants in which I am included, coming from the analogic world. That is why it is crucial to stimulate and value your critical thinking, along with talent, a culture of risk and innovation”, he advised.

 

She urged the students to have good purposes in their actions, so that they can give the country and Angolan society a good and prosperous future.

 

“(You must) Dare to dream and make your dreams come true. Everytime look for the right answer to the question ethics”, she said.

 

On her turn, the UCAN rector, Maria da Assunção, assured that they will increase more quality in all the services that they provide to the community in order to maintain the reputation that gained from national companies, public and private institutions.

 

According to the also university lecturer, many managers have been willing to make available scholarships or offer professional internships to the best students, guaranteeing employment, for some.

 

The Uíge bishop of Dom Joaquim Nyangana Tyombe, who celebrated the mass that marked the opening of the academic year, stressed that the quality of education 2022/23 will not depend only on refined professional technical skills, distinct intellectual students or efficient professionals, but rather on attitudes and behaviour.

 

He added that it will also depend on the worked and transformed people, dialogue capacity, institutional peace promotion, cooperation and efficacy of team work or vice-versa.

 

Created by the Episcopal Conference of Angola and Sao Tome and Principe (CEAST), the opening of the first UCAN academic year was held on 22 February 1999 with Propaedeutics Courses (year 0) in Law and Economics.