The announcement was made this Friday in Praia, during the presentation of some of the results achieved since the first edition of the Cape Verde Investment Forum, promoted by the Cape Verdean Government and mobilized in July 2019, according to the memorandums of understanding then 1500 million euros in private investment projects and intentions.
Speaking to Lusa on the sidelines of the event, the president of the Cape Verde Stock Exchange, the entity that promotes this event, explained that in Luanda, in addition to capturing bilateral private investment in the areas of transport and tourism, an agreement will also be signed. reciprocal protection of investments between the Cape Verdean and Angolan governments. “This is one of the objectives of this visit and to take the opportunity to talk about investments”, said Manuel Lima.
Cape Verde Investment Forum events include entrepreneurs, international partners, decision makers, entrepreneurs and financial executives who wish to promote and support investments in that African country.
The goal, according to the organization, is to “accelerate private and public financial sector and private investor investments” in “catalyst projects” that promote sustainable economic growth and job creation in Cape Verde.
After Luanda in March, a similar event will follow by the end of the same month in Lagos, Nigeria, to raise investment and promote Cape Verde among local entrepreneurs, explained the president of the Cape Verde Stock Exchange.
“The events in Luanda and Lagos are complementary to the conference in Sal [1 to 3 July]. The perspective is to create an investment platform. And in these events, make the promotion of investments, attracting and looking for partnerships. But we also have the clear notion that in an event you just can't close deals, you have to start, create conditions, follow up to their negotiation”, said Manuel Lima.
The first edition of the Cape Verde Investment Forum took place in July 2019, in Sal Island, with the signing of memorandums of understanding for financing and private investment contracts of about 1500 million euros, in 41 projects, namely in the tourism sector. .
“It was an indication that later turned into business. Of these, seven are already in the process of execution”, said Manuel Lima. He added that the Lusofonia Mélia project, a new hotel to be installed in Praia, is going ahead soon and is already guaranteed funding.
This was followed in September by an edition of the Cape Verde Investment Forum in Boston to capture investments in the Cape Verdean diaspora in the United States.
Presenting at the presentation of the July Forum in Sal, the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Cape Verde, Olavo Correia, highlighted the need for the country to hold such events and promote itself internationally.
“Sitting at home nobody gets anything today. We have to promote Cape Verde, we are not alone in the world”, he emphasized, in response to opposition criticism, which disputes the state spending on these promotional events.
Olavo Correia assured that the Government intends to encourage the mobilization of entrepreneurs to invest in Cape Verde, making available for this purpose the diplomatic network and technical consultants to "support the implementation of investment projects".
Internationally, the Cape Verdean authorities present the country's political, economic and social stability, coupled with the archipelago's geo-strategic position at the center of the most important Atlantic routes, and the success of tourism as attracting private investment.
