"Nothing will prevent the economy from continuing to function. The fact that there are elections does not mean that the economy will stop, it cannot stop, people have to eat every day," the Minister of State and Economic Coordination, Manuel, told Lusa. Nunes Júnior, after a cheese tasting, passing through the 'stand' of Portugal during the visit to Filda.
"Excellent", commented the minister regarding the Portuguese cheese tasting, questioned by Lusa.
Thousands of people, including visitors and exhibitors, flocked to Luanda's Special Economic Zone (ZEE) for the inauguration of Filda, which should have started on Tuesday and ended on Saturday, but was postponed due to the national mourning decreed for the death of the former President José Eduardo dos Santos, on the 8th of July.
The shadow of "Zedu", as he was popularly known, still hovered over Filda, where the inaugural speeches were preceded by a minute of silence and the ministers made a point of evoking the head of state, expressing "sadness and consternation" at his disappearance .
Despite the constraints it caused to companies – 630, according to the organization's figures, including 200 foreigners from 15 countries, including 24 Portuguese – the exhibitors maintained their presence.
"I am not aware that there have been any withdrawals. The countries initially planned are those that are here", underlined Nunes Júnior, during the visit, in which he was accompanied by a delegation that also included his government colleagues with the Ministry of Economy and Planning, Mário Caetano João, and Industry and Commerce, Vítor Fernandes.
"We haven't seen everything yet, but what we have seen so far points to a positive perspective. Several companies from different countries are represented and this is a good sign, it is a sign of confidence", he said, regarding the environment of the fair.
In his opening speech, Nunes Júnior highlighted some of the government's assets, such as the exit from the recession, stabilization of the foreign exchange market and the end of restrictions on the transfer of dividends from investors, underlining that "the peddling of influences that characterized the functioning of this market belongs to the past".
Another positive aspect is the decline in public debt, which fell from US$80.84 billion in 2017 to US$70.43 million in 2021, the official said.
"Our house is tidy and ready to receive our visitors", he said, in an appeal to investors from all over the world who want to contribute to the development of this country, stressing that "foreign investment will always be welcome".
The growth prospects for 2022 "are equally good", estimating that the national economy will have an overall growth of 2.7 percent", stressed Nunes Júnior.
The Minister of Economy and Planning also reinforced the appeal for opportunities to do business in Angola, pointing to the "de facto" diversification of the economy, where the weight of the non-oil sector rose from 59 percent in 2011 to 71 percent in 2021, as a pull factor.
He also underlined that Angola is open to the business world and that Filda is part of the vision of economic diplomacy, reflecting a "huge international appetite" as eight official international delegations are present at the event this year, compared to just three the previous year.
With an area of 28 thousand square meters, the fair runs this year until next Wednesday under the motto "Disruptive Energy as a support for the development of the Economy".
It is made up of several sectors of activity including Industry, Commerce, Telecommunications and Information Technologies, Oil & Gas, Banking and Insurance, Transport and Logistics, Civil Construction and Public Works, Manufacturing Industry, Tourism and Hospitality, Food and Beverages, Education and Training, Agriculture, Agriculture and Fisheries and Energy and Environment.
Simultaneously with the fair, the 2nd edition of FILDA TALKS will take place – a thematic space dedicated to debates related to entrepreneurship, as well as the first Angola Start Up Summit.
