Cabinet approves private investment project for fishing sector / EU grants US$ 200 Million

A private investment project for the fishing sector, estimated at 24 million Dollars, called "Lobifrio", was approved by the Cabinet Council at a session chaired by the President of the Republic, José Eduardo dos Santos. The Chairman of the National Private Investment Agency (ANIP), Carlos Fernandes explained that the project would be implemented in the Baia Farta region, coastal Benguela province. According to him, it is a private investment resulting from a partnership between external and internal economic agents. The former contributed with equipments, whereas the latter provided the infra-structures.

In the meantime it has also been reported that the European Union made available, in the first quarter of this year, about US$ 200 million to aid the economic and social projects in Angola. The ambassador of the Netherlands to Angola, Robert Brinks announced that most part of that money would be invested in the agricultural sector, such as the supply of seeds and farming tools. According to the diplomat, the investment in the agriculture sector aimed at guaranteeing the food subsistence of that part of the population who had recently come from the armed conflict and free them from donation dependence. The building of schools, hospitals and health posts in suburban and rural areas are also part of the EU countries' investment to Angola.

In a similar context it has become known was well that Welfare and Social Reintegration Minister, João Baptista Kussumua, has launched the general programme of demobilization and reintegration of ex-military men. The programme, financed by the Angolan Government and the World Bank, includes the areas of professional training, agriculture, and others. The project will be directly managed by the Institute for Social Reintegration of ex-Military (IRSEM) and the World Bank. The province of Huambo has 23.500 demobilized people from the ex-military forces of UNITA. (Angola Press Agency, Luanda)