Luanda — The first phase of the Free Economic Zone Project for Integrated Development of Dande Municipality, in the northern Bengo Province, foresees a set of infrastructures that will contribute with 1,5% to 2% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in the next ten years, said the secretary of State for Civil Aviation, Maritime and Ports Emílio Londa.
The project, which is to be implemented in an area of 860 hectares, approximately 16% of the total area allocated to the concession, will require an investment of USD 600 million from the State and USD 950 million from private companies.
While talking Tuesday in the meeting in order to present the mentioned Free Zone to the business people aiming to attract investors, the official said that such a contribution to GDP would be obtained in the areas of storage, food processing, metalworking, car parts assembling, solar panels and alternative energies, already in public tender.
The mentioned public tender through prior qualification was launched in July this year by the Angolan Executive aiming at the sub-concession of one of the parts of the components of this first phase of the Barra do Dande Free Zone construction.
Among the national and foreign competition, the submission of proposals of infrastructures management, due to end on 15 November, are for the port terminal for the national cereal reserve, cooking oil refinery and the renewable energy park.
According to the secretary of State, the infrastructures for this first phase, with the works foreseen to end in 2027, will permit the creation of 21,000 new direct job posts.
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To Emílio Londa, the Executive has two challenges in hand, namely to demonstrate capacity and resilience in creating structural projects as well as to transform the business environment in order to attract knowhow, technology and capital and also to keep the focus on human capital development.
In this way, the project plans to provide for a centre for innovation, technical professional training and technical development.
Under the management of Barra do Dande Development Society, S.A, the Free Zone aims to ensure the strategic reservation of oil next to the ocean terminal that will have a storage capacity of 582,000 cubic metres of fuel, between petrol and diesel.
The Free Zone will also ensure the strategic reserve and food security through the construction of infrastructures for storage of food products, including the most processed products, industrial clusters and expansion of free trade and national energy transition.
