Ver Angola

Politics

Fight against corruption “benefits relations with Germany”

The analyst Lisa Steinbacher, from the German association Afrika Verein, defended that the “huge reforms” that Angola has been carrying out, namely in the fight against corruption, are positive and benefit relations with Germany.

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Angela Merkel, who will visit Luanda on Friday, where she will be received by President João Lourenço, will travel accompanied by a delegation of businessmen. According to the German press, representatives of the energy, financial services, transport, logistics, security and construction sectors are part of the delegation.

"The fact that the chancellor travels with a high-level business delegation shows the growing importance of economic cooperation with the African continent and highlights the interest of German companies in Angola", stated Lisa Steinbacher, in statements to the Lusa agency.

According to the person in charge of the political and communication area of ​​the association of German companies with businesses in Africa, Angola undertook “great reform efforts since the beginning of João Loureço's presidency, including in the area of ​​corruption”.

"These reform efforts are positive and advantageous for strengthening economic relations between Germany and Angola", she stressed.

Germany was the seventh largest investor in Africa between 2014 and 2018, according to data from the consultancy EY, presented in the most recent report on the Attractiveness of Investment in Africa.

In these five years, the latest for which complete data has been compiled, German companies have launched 180 projects, worth 6.8 billion dollars, and created 31,562 jobs.

In the opinion of Lisa Steinbacher, energy may be a central theme in the German chancellor's visit to Angola.

“Angola may be a new member of the‘ G20 Compact with Africa (CwA) initiative, started under the German presidency of the G20 in 2017. In that context, there could be close cooperation in the energy sector”, she considered.

“On the one hand, German technology has already helped a lot in hydroelectric projects. On the other hand, we can also talk about the production of hydrogen in Angola, there is already an LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal that can be used to export green gas ”, she said.

The head of the Afrika Verein association believes that Angela Merkel's trip to Angola can give a new impetus and “sharpen the vision of economic opportunities in Africa as a whole”. There are about 25 German companies operating in Angola. "German companies are very interested in expanding their activities in sub-Saharan Africa's third largest economy" she stressed, adding nonetheless, that "it is still difficult for German medium-sized companies to gain a foothold in Angola".

“This is partly due to the restrictive issuance of visas and work permits, but also due to the discrepancy between the conditions of the legal framework and commercial practices. It is important to quickly negotiate a double taxation agreement between Angola and Germany”, she stressed.

Angela Merkel arrives on Friday in Luanda where, among other items on the agenda, she will meet with President João Lourenço, sign several cooperation agreements and participate in the Germany-Angola economic forum.

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