The presidential order dated 12 April approves a financing agreement in the amount of 112.2 million euros to be signed between the Ministry of Finance and a banking syndicate made up of BAI Europa, Millenium BCP and Banco Atlântico Europa.
The materialization of the project to build the infrastructures of the village of Muxima is guaranteed by Banco Português de Fomento (BPF), a state-owned banking institution that carries out various operations, including direct credit to companies, management of the State guarantee system, capitalization of companies and support for exports and internationalization.
The amount of the financing includes the payment of 100 percent of the value of the guarantee fee of Banco Português do Fomento and 85 percent corresponding to the value of the commercial contract, the order indicates.
The document does not mention who will be executing the works, but in previous orders, from 2018, the participation of companies of Portuguese origin such as Casais was foreseen.
In four orders signed by the President, João Lourenço, on December 19, 2018, the works in the village and in the largest Marian center of Catholic devotion in sub-Saharan Africa, which provide for the construction of a basilica for 4600 faithful, would be celebrated by the grouping of companies Sacyr Somague Angola/Griner Engenharia, by Casais Angola and Omatapalo.
Meanwhile, in November 2021, the Government launched a public tender estimated at 10.9 billion kwanzas (15.6 million euros) for the contract for complementary interventions in the sanctuary and infrastructure of the village of Muxima, in Luanda, distributed in seven lots.
The project was launched in 2008 by then President José Eduardo dos Santos who, about a year later, during Benedict XVI's pastoral visit to Angola, showed the model to the Pope and offered the future basilica to the Holy See.
The village was occupied by the Portuguese in 1589, who, ten years later, built the fortress and church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição, also known as "Mamã Muxima", which in the national language Kimbundu means "heart".
The executive decided, in October 2014, to restructure the project for the new sanctuary, designed by the Portuguese architect Júlio Quaresma, providing for the implementation of the new sanctuary in an area of 18,352 square meters, with the new cathedral having the capacity to accommodate 4,600 seated devotees, as well as its urban arrangement. It foresees, outside the basilica, the construction of a public square to receive up to 200,000 pilgrims.
It also involves road infrastructure around the perimeter of the sanctuary and parking areas for 3000 vehicles.
The village of Muxima has become the largest Marian center in sub-Saharan Africa, but the current temple has only a capacity for 600 people seated, insufficient, for example, for the annual pilgrimage in September that takes more than a million faithful.
