Speaking to the press at the end of a visit to several investments by Chinese companies in the country, the Minister of State said that "the situation worries the Executive and he hopes there is common sense on everyone's part to reverse the situation", says a Government note, to which VerAngola had access.
"We have a meeting already arranged for next week. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Economy and Planning will meet with the main food producers in this condition to try to bring them closer together", he said, quoted in the statement.
According to the government official, the note adds, the Government's commitment to national production is "firm". "That's where we will have more jobs, better living conditions, autonomy as a country, greater security and we will continue to take measures, some difficult, but necessary, to make a better country for everyone", said the official.
On the occasion, he highlighted that, "to protect national production, the Executive decided not to allow Single Documents older than 120 days to continue to be used for imports, in the food segment", reads the statement.
The Minister of State for Economic Coordination also mentioned that some national producers face "difficulties in placing their products in shopping centers, because there is strong competition from imported products".
Given this scenario, he considered it "necessary to protect those who produce in the country, whether or not they are an investor or a company with Angolan capital", adds the note.
It should be noted that the minister's agenda included visits to the "construction works of the 'Cidade do Século de Angola' projects, in the Special Economic Zone, the 'Steel Factory', in Viana, the 'Nova Era Centro Comercial' projects, in Cacuaco and 'Orlando Residencial', in the municipality of Belas", completes the note.
Still during Saturday, José de Lima Massano also made it known that the "Executive wants to see more investment projects implemented" in the food security sector.
According to another Government note, to which VerAngola had access, the Minister of State – who was speaking at a meeting with businesspeople and members of the Angola-China Chamber of Commerce – reiterated that "food security is at the center of the Executive's agenda, which wants to see more projects that allow transforming what the countryside can produce into value, into consumer goods, to satisfy the country's demand and for export".
According to the government official, at this level, the note adds, "there are concrete measures to stimulate the economy, such as the simplification of export processes".
The minister said that there is work "that has been developed in a coordinated manner" between the various ministerial departments so that at the end of this year or in the first quarter of next year "it will be completed, announced and will start operating".
Thus, he said that they want to "have a single point" where exporters can go: "Therefore, we want to have a single point where our exporters can go and there they can also deal with all the necessary documentation to ensure the export of the goods they want. have the conditions to do so", he said, quoted in the statement.
Addressing Chinese businesspeople, Lima Massano highlighted that the meeting served to "monitor the work carried out in Angola and create a necessary environment for investments to continue".
The minister also guaranteed that "all conditions have been created for the Security and Reciprocal Investment Protection agreements between the Angolan and Chinese authorities to be initialed", the statement reads.
"At this moment, via diplomatic channels, we are just agreeing on the dates and place for the signing of this important instrument of cooperation", he informed, quoted in the note.
Luís Cupenala, president of the Angola-China Chamber of Commerce, said that the meeting "prestiges and elevates the responsibility of the institution and its associates, in order to align their strategies and actions with the National Development Plan 2022-2027, as social partner of the State".
"To listen and exchange opinions with the various business leaders of the Chinese community residing in Angola, and beyond, on difficulties, challenges and other matters, the objective is to promote permanent dialogue and consultation to improve the business environment and open of doors to the world in the enormous task of mobilizing private investment for the country", stated the person in charge.
