The Angolan government, through the Ministry of Transportation, has already collected $380 million in concession fees—a practice previously limited to the oil sector—Transportation Minister Ricardo Viegas D’Abreu revealed on Wednesday (3).
“When we launched the concessions program, our main objective was to ensure not only an improvement in the capacity and operational efficiency of our infrastructure, but also to achieve its integration into a more regional and global context,” he explained.
Ricardo Viegas D’Abreu, speaking at the Executive Breakfast dedicated to the theme “Transport Sector and National Banking – Business Opportunities to Boost the Transport Sector,” highlighted the Global Investment Plan, which has reached $2.7 billion.
On the other hand, the Angolan minister stated that the portfolio of infrastructure projects—which includes urban mobility, airports, ports, logistics, and railways—exceeds $10 billion.
The minister challenged the national banking sector to take on a more active and participatory role in financing the country’s economic development, advocating for a new phase of collaboration between the financial sector and the transportation sector to enable infrastructure projects with a direct impact on the competitiveness of the national economy and the quality of life of citizens.
“The challenge is to transform liquidity into productive assets, creating conditions for the national banking sector to play a more active role in financing key infrastructure projects that generate growth, employment, and economic development,” said the official.
Notable among the identified projects are the Luanda Urban Mobility Program (PRO-MMUL), the Luanda Light Rail Transit system, the BRT corridors, the rail link between downtown and Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport (AIAAN), the Icolo and Bengo Airport City, the Amboim Deep-Water Port, the expansion of the National Network of Logistics Platforms, and the Lobito, Malanje, and Namibe rail corridors.
The minister also emphasized that the institutional reforms carried out in recent years have strengthened the sector’s regulatory credibility, creating more favorable conditions for private investment through the awarding of concessions and the establishment of public-private partnerships.
As a next step, the Ministry of Transport intends to work with national banks to select the first projects that will serve as pilot projects for integration into a specialized data room, with a view to beginning their financial structuring within the next 90 days.
“Today we are not just discussing ideas; we are launching a concrete and realistic process of financial structuring. Over the next 90 days, we intend to select the first projects, make them available in a dedicated data room, and work with domestic banks to turn opportunities into real investments that will have an impact on the economy and the lives of citizens,” emphasized Ricardo Viegas D’Abreu.
Source: Forbes África Lusófona
