Malanje — The governor of north-western Malanje province, Norberto dos Santos, wants the involvement of businesspeople in the socio-economic affairs of the region, aiming at its development.

The official was speaking during the first meeting with the local businesspeople intended to listen from them about their participation in the progress of the province.

Norberto dos Santos considered indispensable the participation of the businesspeople in the Public Investment Programme (PIP), with stress to the projects involving paints and cement, city sanitation and cleaning and improvement of roads, electricity and water.

The governor also called for the entrepreneurial class to participate in the import of manufactured goods, civil construction, agricultural mechanisation, goods and services and foodstuffs.

During the meeting, the parties discussed matters linked to bank credit under the Angola Invest Programme, allocation of means to peasants, sale of commercial infrastructures owned by the State, technical assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture and the lack of an authority responsible for buying the goods harvested by the peasants.

There are 3,500 registered economic agents in Malanje operating in such sectors as trade, hotels and tourism, industry and agriculture.