Rui Gourgel was speaking to journalists in Luanda on the sidelines of the signing of the agreement for the electrical interconnection of Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (RDCongo), to allow surplus energy to be exported.
The official said that "in the last two to three years, the costs that RNT has incurred [from vandalism] are in excess of six million dollars" and highlighted that the newly created position of Secretary of State for the Protection of Strategic Objectives also has this mission.
"We already have the armed forces, the police, protecting our assets, both the substations and the [electricity transport] lines and since this process began, vandalization has decreased", he stressed, adding that the government wants to reinforce security measures.
"We believe that in the medium and long term these actions will be eliminated", he reinforced.
The vandalization of electricity poles and the theft of electrical infrastructure, transport and sanitation equipment, among others, have been on the agenda due to the great losses and risks to public safety, and the Angolan authorities want tougher penalties to punish offenders.
Last month, the National Assembly approved the Proposed Law on the Crimes of Vandalism of Public Goods and Services, with penalties ranging from three to 25 years for offenders.
The RNT is made up of three independent systems – North, Center and South –, divided into five voltage levels, with 31 transmission lines over a length of 2628 kilometers and an electrical park formed by 20 substations.
