The refinery "has very positive aspects," said the expert, adding that it "has the possibility of having many more young people being able to work, more jobs for the community, not only for Lobito but also other parts of our country.
Speaking to Rádio Nacional de Angola (RNA), the economist noted that Angola is the "second largest oil producer in Africa," arguing that it was "not right" not to have the capacity to refine what it produces internally.
The civil society sees the project with good eyes, classifying it as an asset for the region.
"It is extremely important for the province of Benguela, and not only for the municipality of Lobito, because it will provide a positive insertion for young people," Maria da Luz told RNA.
This Friday, Sonangol will launch the public tender to choose the entities that will be part of the corporate structure of the company that owns the refinery and the project's financial backers.
The conclusions of the preliminary studies on economic viability and processing capacity will be presented at the ceremony.
The project will be built in an area of 4000 hectares, and it is estimated that the refinery will produce about 200 thousand barrels of oil per day.
