Cabinet Council analyses Tripartite Free Trade Zone Agreement

 

Luanda- The Cabinet Council analysed Thursday the draft project resolution that approves Angola’s ratification of the Agreement that creates the Tripartite Free Trade Zone COMESA-EAC-SADC.

The document analysed in the first Extraordinary Session led by President João Lourenço will be submitted to the National Assembly.

 

The agreement aims to establish a legal framework for trade in goods and services between member states of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in accordance with the laws and regulations in force in each country.

 

It also aims to promote the economic and social development of the region, creation of a large common market with free circulation of goods and services and the promotion of intra-regional trade.

 

Among the objectives of the agreement are also the strengthening of regional and continental integration processes and the building of a strong Tripartite Free Trade Area for the benefit of the peoples of the region.

 The agreement also provides for the progressive elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade in goods, the liberalisation of trade in services, cooperation in customs matters and the implementation of trade facilitation measures.

 

The COMESA-EAC-SADC tripartite mechanism was established during the first Heads of State and Government Summit held in Kampala, Uganda October 22, 2008.

Government to open process for marketing ANGOSAT-2 services

 Luanda - The Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technology and Mass Media (MINTTICS) will release on Friday the process for commercialisation of ANGOSAT-2 satellite services.

The Angolan communication ANGOSAT-2 satellite operating in geostationary orbit will provide services in the C, KU and KA bands.

 

The satellite, built by the Information Satellite Systems Reshetnev (ISS Reshetnev) company, is made up of two modules, namely the Express 1000 platform and the payload, the latter being the responsibility of Airbus Defence and Space.

 

With an expected service life of 15 years, ANGOSAT-2 launched in orbit on October 12, 2022, is one of the projects of the National Space Programme Management Office (GGPEN), an agency assigned to the Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication.

 

According to the press release to which ANGOP had access, during the event the topics “Technical Performance and Characteristics of ANGOSAT-2” and “Commercial Plan, Solutions and Portfolio”, will be presented.

 

In the note, MINTTICS says that the Angolan satellite will allow national telecommunications operators and the government to benefit from bandwidth capacities, with costs based on national currency, helping to better manage investments and adjust them with the reality of the last user.

 

The document adds that with ANGOSAT-2, the government also wants to promote and boost business in regions which are completely unconnected, thus contributing considerably to reducing the digital exclusion in Angola and the African continent.

 

The satellite is covering the entire African continent, a significant part of Southern Europe and almost total coverage of the Southern African region, in order to make it a source of income.

Polish businesspeople focus on technology sector in Angola

 Luanda - Polish businesspeople plan to invest in the Angolan market in technological solutions in the field of electronics, agriculture, automation, maritime navigation and border security.

The intention was announced Thursday by Zdzislaw Sokal, head of a Polish business delegation, on a visit to Angola.

The also CEO of Investment and Trade Agency of Poland, Sokal, said his country has enormous potential in the field of cyber-security and crucial infrastructure.

Addressing Angola-Poland Business Forum opening ceremony, Zdzislaw Sokal noted that Poland has digitized services in all domains (public and private services), with stress to health, transport, as well as traffic and mobility.

Likewise, Poland is willing to invest in the field of agri-food and furniture industries, industrial automation equipment, medication tools, as well as construction and agricultural equipment.

He also announced possessing solutions in the sectors of green energy, circular economy, waste management, photovoltaic energies and smart cities.

According to him, annually, Poland produces 11,000 graduates in the areas of technology, and has 131 companies in the field of telecommunications and tele-technologies.

While the representative of the Development Bank of Poland, Jarostaw Trwonga, without disclosing the amount, pledged his institution’s availability to finance projects in Angola, as part of the AIPEX business and projects forum.

In turn, Private Investment and Exports Agency (AIPEX), Lello Francisco, who was addressing the 14 representatives of the Polish business community, announced the opportunities and excellent conditions of the business environment in Angola.

The Secretary of State for International Cooperation and Angolan Communities, Domingos Vieira Lopes, invited Polish businesspeope to attend the privatization process of public companies, underway in the country.

Poland's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Pawel Jablonski, said that it is important to change the balance of trade between the two countries, which is centered on ornamental stones and wood.

The annual volume of business between the two countries stands at 30 million dollars.

Political, diplomatic and cooperation relations between Angola and Poland date back to 1976.

International reserves reach USD14.1bln in January

 Luanda - International Reserves stood at USD 14.1 billion in January this year, accounting for an annual 5.5% growth compared to the same period last year.

With six months of coverage for imports of goods and services, reserves decreased, in monthly terms, of approximately 2.4%, which corresponds to USD 347.2 million, compared to December 2022, states the weekly report from Banco de Fomento de Angola, reached ANGOP.

In its website, Angola Reserve Bank (BNA) put at USD 14 billion the daily evolution of international reserves map available.

BNA added that the figure remained until the first week of February, despite a slight reduction reported, compared to the last day of January.

Managed by the Central Bank, the international reserves are assets in foreign currencies that basically serve as “insurance” for the country's economy to face its obligations abroad and external shocks, such as a stronger devaluation of the local currency.

Surveys show that the largest reserves in the world are from China (USD 3.2 trillion), Saudi Arabia (USD 2.2 trillion) and Japan (USD 1.2 trillion).

CAR President arrives in Angola

 Luanda – The Head of State of the Central African Republic (CAR) Faustin-Archange Touadéra arrived Thursday in Luanda to participate in a meeting with his counterparts from the Republics of Angola and Chad.

At the 4 de Fevereiro International Airport, the President of CAR was received by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for Administration, Finance and Heritage, Maria Auxiliadora Fragoso Pascoal Ramiro, and distinguished individuals.

At today's meeting, the three statesmen are going to analyze the political and security situation prevailing in Chad and the Central African Republic, among other specific issues of common interest.

The meeting, to be chaired by the Angolan President, João Lourenço, will take place at the Presidential Palace, in Luanda.

President João Lourenço analyses CAR situation with counterparts

 Luanda – Angolan Head of State João Lourenço addressed Thursday in Luanda the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR).

João Lourenço, who is also president of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), met with his counterparts from CAR and Chad, respectively Faustin Touadéra and Mahamat Idriss Déby.

The two-hour meeting, held at the invitation of the host, is part of regular consultations on the peace and security situation in CAR, a country located in the Great Lakes region.

At the end of the meeting, the Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, said that the consultations took place in a “fraternal environment”, adding that the three statesmen decided to continue with  fraternity existing among the countries of the region.

This organisation, created in 2006, includes Angola, Burundi, CAR, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Chad.

CAR situation

Since the coup d'état perpetrated by the rebel group "Seleka", which led to the overthrow of François Bozizė, former Central African President, the country has been plunged into a situation of growing insecurity.

Ethnic violence and religious clashes force the residents to leave their home villages.

Data released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) put at 60, 000 the number of citizens who fled the violence since December 2020.

The current Head of State, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, won the presidential elections on 27 December last, with 53.16 percent of the votes, against 21.69 percent garnered by his main opponent, former Prime Minister Anicet Georges Dologuéle.

Tunisian President Fires His Foreign Minister

 Tunisian President Kais Saied has fired his Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi.

The president appointed Nabil Ammar, Tunisia’s ambassador to the European Union, to replace Mr Jerandi. He did not give a reason for Mr Jerandi’s dismissal.

A career diplomat, Mr Jerandi became foreign minister under Mr Saied in September 2020.
He becomes the fourth minister to lose his position this year, with the trade, agriculture and education ministers having already been replaced.
President Saied carried out a series of measures in 2021 to enhance the power of the presidency at the expense of parliament and the judiciary.

Opposition parties boycotted the 2022 parliamentary elections, accusing the president of staging a coup after shutting parliament in 2021 and giving himself almost unlimited executive powers.
Just about 11% of Tunisians turned out for a second round of parliamentary voting last month.
There has been a deepening political and economic crisis, amid protests by Tunisians increasingly frustrated with the state of the economy and against Mr Saied’s seizure of near total power.

Source: BBC

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