According to a statement from the provincial government of Benguela, to which VerAngola had access, the first stone was laid by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rui Miguêns de Oliveira, and by the governor of Benguela, Manuel Nunes Júnior.
"The Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rui Miguêns de Oliveira, and the provincial governor of Benguela, Manuel Nunes Júnior, proceeded this Friday (10/01) to the laying of the first stone for the construction of a cement factory, located in the municipality of Catumbela", reads the note.
The provincial government also states that the factory is "a private initiative of the SLN Group - Fábrica de Cimento e Clinker de Benguela".
On the occasion, the Minister of Industry and Commerce said that "this investment reaffirms the confidence of Angolan and foreign private investors in the policies that the government has been developing to industrialize the country and improve the living conditions of the population".
Quoted in the statement, Rui Miguêns de Oliveira highlighted the "importance of the project carried out by Angolan and Chinese investors, as a necessary milestone for the celebration of the excellent bilateral relations that unite the governments and peoples of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Angola" .
The provincial governor, Manuel Nunes Júnior, said that SLN will not only produce cement, but also clinker, which is a "fundamental product for large-scale cement production, and highly sought after by various companies in the construction industry."
According to the governor, "production in large volumes will allow this product to be exported to other countries, with the aim of improving national needs", reads the statement.
According to Rádio Nacional de Angola (RNA), in the first phase, the aforementioned manufacturing unit will be capable of producing more than 3000 tons of cement and clinker per day, with an investment estimated at more than 100 million dollars.
Regarding job creation, João Gourgel, shareholder of the SLN project, said that they should have around 1000 workers.
"We have just laid the first stone. We are going to build a clinker and cement production factory. We will have more than 1000 expatriate and Angolan workers (...)", said João Gourgel, quoted by RNA.