"If it weren't for the pandemic we would have already launched the contest, we have a group working to launch later this year or, at the limit, in January next year," said Ricardo Viegas d'Abreu, in a meeting with journalists at Bungo railway station in Luanda.
The Minister of Transport highlighted that the tender for the concession of the Lobito corridor (which is part of the Benguela Railroad) for freight transport is being prepared and intends to attract operators specialized in logistics and cargo, partners that will ensure the maintenance and rehabilitation of infrastructure.
This will be the first bet the country will make on an infrastructure and rail services concession for freight transport.
"What makes the return on investment is the transport of cargo, the passenger is practically a public service," said the minister.
The second priority, he continued, will be the Luanda Railroad (CFL) which "needs an intervention as soon as possible," because it still has a section of the line "very critical" to be rehabilitated, a total of 215 kilometers between Zenza do Itombe (Kwanza Norte) and Cacuso (Malanje), which requires reducing the speed to an average of 30 kilometers per hour.
"It is still being evaluated if this route will be rehabilitated or if the line will have a new route to reach the province of Malanje", indicated the governor.
"The public-private partnership program has a project to launch the North Corridor," said the head of Transport, stressing that the objective is that the three lines (Benguela, Luanda and Moçâmedes) reach neighbouring countries, with intervention from the private sector.
The involvement of the private sector in the investments that the Government wants to make in transport infrastructures was focused several times in the meeting.
Ricardo Viegas d'Abreu stressed that the private sector can help to solve some problems in the transport sector, whose investments require significant technical and financial capacity.
In the case of the surface metro planned for Luanda, through a partnership between the government and Siemens, the goal is to "accelerate the formalization of the public-private partnership later this year" so that the first line, with 30 kilometers, can begin.
The government also approached the increase of the road fleet to more than 700 buses in order to strengthen public transportation in the country, in articulation with the local provincial governments "which are responsible for providing and monitoring urban public transportation.
