João Lourenço was speaking this Tuesday at the opening of the extraordinary meeting of the Council of the Republic, which analyzed the situation of covid-19 in Angola.
According to the President, the country was also affected, like the rest of the world, by the economic crisis, which is evidenced by the low expected production indicators and the higher than expected unemployment rate for 2020.
"However, as expected, the difficulties sharpen the ingenuity and make opportunities visible, where before it seemed only problems and constraints," he said.
The head of state stressed that the country is beginning to wake up to the need to invest more and more in domestic production of basic consumer goods.
The agricultural sector of the economy, continued João Lourenço, is responding positively to the needs of the market, with the diverse increase of products from the countryside, produced either by the large landowners or, above all, by family farming, peasants.
"Even so we are not yet satisfied, we can produce much more, because there are conditions for it," he said, adding that the state has invested in agricultural equipment, selling about 900 tractors and their implements to various operators in all provinces.
According to the President, these means must fulfill the role for which they were acquired, which is the preparation of land and improvement of the outlets for the products of the field.
For João Lourenço, it is also important to make better use of the heavy machinery put at the service of the provinces for the repair of secondary roads, as a way to stimulate agricultural production and contribute to the reduction of hunger and poverty.
Regarding the industrial sector of the economy, the Head of State stated that he has also "been showing signs of alignment" with the cause of domestic production of consumer goods, which he considered encouraging.
"From the visits that have been made by those responsible for the economy and planning, industry and trade, agriculture and fisheries, we see that the investment in the private sector of the economy is the right one and, therefore, we will continue to dialogue and meet their expectations, so that companies can grow, increase production and jobs," he assured.
The President of the Republic called for this Tuesday an extraordinary meeting of the Council of the Republic to assess the impact of covid-19 in Angola, fundamentally, on the epidemiological and economic plan.
It was the third time that this body of consultation of the President of the Republic met to discuss the issue, after the sessions of May and March.
The Council of the Republic includes the Vice President of the Republic, the President of the National Assembly, the President of the Constitutional Court, the Attorney General of the Republic and leaders of political parties with parliamentary seats and other invited entities.
This Tuesday ends the 30-day period of the last presidential decree with measures relating to the situation of public calamity due to the covid-19 pandemic, including a health fence in Luanda until this Tuesday, September 8.
