According to the official, financing is also on the table, adding that by 2026 it is expected to finance at least 250 micro, small and medium-sized companies.
Laércio Cândido was speaking this Monday after a meeting between Ivan dos Santos, Secretary of State for Public Investment, and a monitoring and supervision mission from the World Bank, which is in the country until 18 October to assess the degree of implementation of the four components that make up 'Diversifica Mais'.
Regarding this working visit by the World Bank team, the official, quoted by Angop, clarified that the meeting will enable collaboration with the agencies responsible for implementation and the project execution unit, which has a satisfactory level of implementation in accordance with the planned activities.
According to Laércio Cândido, the activities include supporting and improving the business environment in the Lobito Corridor, as well as strengthening the infrastructures that already exist, through catalytic investments in order to ensure attractiveness.
The official also said that these infrastructures have a public-private partnership that will enable financing for micro and small businesses located in the aforementioned corridor, with a view to the growth of the value chain.
In an assessment of the 'Diversifica Mais' project, the director said that in approximately nine months of implementation of the project, some results have already been achieved and activities have been developed that contribute to the success of the project, and he also took the opportunity to recall that, recently, the Credit Guarantee Fund signed an agreement with financial institutions to facilitate the granting of credit to micro, small and medium-sized businesses, in light of the 'Diversifica Mais' project.
The 'Diversifica Mais' project has financing of 300 million dollars from the World Bank and aims to improve the business environment and reinforce equipment, technical resources and infrastructure in the Lobito Corridor, which will involve an investment of approximately 40 million dollars. Regarding the strengthening of infrastructures, the official said that the project has approximately 100 million dollars.
"We believe that by 2029, we will have expanded the powers of the company licensing process through the opening of new counters and the Single Company Window. We will also have the IGCA [Geographic and Cadastral Institute of Angola] strengthened to ensure greater access to land rights by farmers and potential landholders who will have their processes facilitated with this intervention", said the official, quoted by Angop.
With the implementation of the 'Diversifica Mais' programme, the aim is to achieve a Master Plan for the Lobito Corridor, reduce the time taken to release goods at customs by 20 percent, using automation tools aimed at international trade, and also assign three production projects along this railway branch.
Furthermore, Angop reports, the railway will identify the technological deficiencies of 10,000 companies, half of which are run by women, with 2000 being guided to improve their skills in terms of management and incorporation of technology.
