Luanda — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said it is available to continue supporting the policies underway in Angola, especially in terms of technical assistance and training, the institution's deputy managing director, Antoinette Sayeh, said Wednesday in Luanda.

Sayeh, who was speaking to the press at the end of an audience granted in Luanda by Angola's president João Lourenço, said the offer is maintained as long as Angola needs it, underlining that if the reforms underway in the country are carried out well, the future would be bright.

The IMF official, who visited Angola for the first time, said the meeting with the Head of State was essentially aimed at strengthening and deepening cooperation, as well as congratulating the Angolan authorities on the reforms undertaken to deal with the various economic factors facing the country.

On the possibility of the IMF stepping up funding for Angola, he said that the issue was not on the table, pointing out that the institution had a successful funding program for Angola, which ended in 2021.

"I shared with the President of the Republic the need for continued efforts, bearing in mind that the world is being characterized by recurring shocks, especially in the oil market, and Angola, as an oil-producing country, must continue to cope with this process," he stressed.

Taking into account the volatility of the oil price and the need for Angola to make increasing efforts to adapt to these shocks, Sayeh encouraged the government to continue with the reforms, especially those that began last year, which have to do with the withdrawal of fuel subsidies.

The meeting also discussed the need to strengthen the social services network in order to support the increasingly vulnerable people, so that they can feel the presence of the government, which should continue to have a good communication program on the need to implement and strengthen these reforms to be reflected in the lives of the population.

The president's vision on economic diversification and the need to continue this process, as well as the efforts to combat corruption to create a favorable business environment in Angola was also part of the agenda.

Sayeh expressed satisfaction with João Lourenço's prioritization of quality education and the capacities and skills needed for education to progress and reforms to have positive results.