Angola improves priorities for National Development Plan 2023/2027

 Luanda - Angolan Government is improving the priorities to be included in the National Development Plan (PDN 2023/2027), a document that will guide the National Planning System bodies toward the preparation of activities and projects to be implemented.

PDN is a medium-term planning instrument, which comes up with the strategic goals by domain and respective action programmes, goals, projects and activities.

According to the Secretary of State for Planning, Milton Reis, the technical and ministerial meetings are currently taking place to improve the projects to be implemented over the next four years.

Speaking at the usual briefing of the Ministry of Economy and Planning (MEP), Milton Reis reiterated that the PDN will be analysed and appreciated in a session of the Cabinet Council  this month (August).

"The calendar defines that we will take the approval of this important instrument of governance in the Meeting of the Cabinet Council in August", said the official, to whom "the filters are fundamental, because they will allow us to establish priorities".

He admitted the need to focus on the most important ones, looking at budgetary restrictions, an exercise that he considers to be “in the final stretch”.

The preparation of PDN is based on ELP - (Long-Term Strategy) Angola 2050, an instrument, approved by  Cabinet Council on July 26t, awaiting its publication in the country’s Gazette. HEM/NE/CF/NIC

Israeli ambassador praises Cafu's social impact

 Ondjiva- Israeli ambassador to Angola Shimon Saloman commended Thursday the role of the water transfer system from the Cunene river, in the Cafu region, in agriculture and fighting against drought in the communities.

The diplomat made the praise at the end of a visit to assess the operation of the pumping center on the Cafu channel, stating that it is a project with enormous potential for the benefit of the communities.

Shimon Saloman said the investment will bring "great benefits" soon, both for rural families who live more than 160 kilometers from the province, and for other families in neighbouring countries.

However, he defended the need to take more advantage of the investment, stressing that the population has free access to water for consumption, agriculture and livestock.

Like Israel, which has scant water resources for agriculture, the diplomat defends the development of technologies to encourage agricultural production by families.

As for diplomatic relations between the two States, the diplomat said several Angolan delegations travel to Israel to exchange experiences, especially in the sector linked to agricultural production, water and cyber security. FI/LHE/NE/CF/NIC

Asky Airlines launches Lomé/Luanda flight

 Luanda - Asky Airlines started direct flight connections with Togo’s capital (Lomé) and Angola, with an inaugural flight that landed in Luanda on Wednesday with 55 passengers.

In this route, Asky Airlines is to have three flights per week, namely arriving in Luanda on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with departures from the Angolan capital to Lomé scheduled for Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

ANGOP has learnt that the return ticket is to cost USD 600 for the economic class.

Asky Airlines, headquarted in Togo, flies to 24 destinations in 21 countries of Central and West Africa, including Cabo Verde, Guinea Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe. It carries out 200 flights per week, with an average transportation of 200,000 passangers weekly.

This African airliner has been operating for 13 years.

After witnissing the arrival of the inaugural flight, the secretary of State for Tourism, Hélder Marcelino, said to the press that this new air connection will boost businesses, tourism and other services in Africa.   HEM/PPA/jmc

SADC: Expert defends implementation of guiding plans

 Luanda - An Angolan expert in Foreign Affairs has described the implementation of the guidelines of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) as crucial during Angola's rotating presidency in the regional organisation.

Conceição Vaz  told the Angola’s National Radio Station (RNA) that during its presidency, the country will need to give a further boost to the implementation of the actions, including transparency and good governance.

Speaking ahead of the 43rd Summit of SADC Heads of States and Governments that takes place on 7 - 17 August in Luanda, the expert mentioned the strengthening of the economies of the member States as one of the challenges of the Angolan presidency.

SADC groups Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Angola takes over the SADC's chair this month for a one-year term, after having done so in 2012.

DRC´s President Félix Tshisekedi is currently at the helm of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) . FMA/AL/CF/NIC

Luanda hosts International Comics Festival

 Luanda - Luanda will host the 19th Edition of the International Festival of Comics and Animation (Luanda Cartoon) on August 4-19 at Camões and Belas Shopping cultural site.

In order to ensure the success of the event, BAI Foundation and Estúdio Olindomar, the organizing body, signed a memorandum of understanding for the sustainable development of Cartoons in Angola on Thursday.

The ratification of the agreement on the availability of the financial package to support the Festival is part of the pillar of BAI Foundation culture, aimed at ensuring development and sustainability of Angolan arts and culture.

The annual event brings together cartoon bands, cartoonists, illustrators and animators, amateur professionals and fans. EH/ART/CF/NIC

Fish associations told to focus on Continental Free Trade

 Luanda – Angolan minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Carmen Sacramento Neto said Tuesday in Luanda that the Executive will promote the work of women fishing associations to increase the quality of products, as part of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Speaking to ANGOP, the official defended the improvement of the organisation of the women processors' associations, to allow exporting the products to the countries of the continent.

“It is with more work that we will enter the possibility that the Free Trade Zone gives us, of exporting the result of processing carried out with mastery. As a Ministry, we will encourage this quality to take to neighboring countries”, she said.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents a huge opportunity for African countries to lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty and to increase the incomes of another 68 million who live on less than $5.50/day.

With the implementation of the AfCFTA, trade facilitation measures, which reduce red tape and simplify customs procedures, would generate about US$300 million of the US$450 million in potential revenue gains.

Experts say the implementation of the AfCFTA should help set in motion the many deep reforms needed to boost long-term growth in African countries.

AfCFTA agreement creates the world's largest free trade area measured by the number of participating countries. The pact links 1.3 billion people in 55 countries with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of USD 3.4 billion. HEM/PPA/CF/NIC