Ondjiva — Over Akz 3.3 billion (just over USD 4 million) have been made available since 2020, by the Development Bank of Angola (BDA) to finance 80 projects linked to the Production Support Program for Export Diversification and Import replacement (PRODESI), in the southern province of Cunene.

The information was provided to ANGOP this Wednesday by the director of the Office for Economic and Integrated Development of Cunene, Felisberto Hisimungula, stating that of the projects financed 53 are from the Credit Support Program (PAC), 26 from the Economic Relief and one of Notice #10.

He clarified that, at PAC level, 70 projects were approved, of which 53 were disbursed and the remaining 17 were awaiting liquidity from the BDA.

He mentioned that of the projects, 39 are focused on agricultural production, 20 on commerce and distribution, 16 on livestock farming, 2 on fishing and the same number on industry and 1 on tourism.

Along with PRODESI, the official added that, within the scope of economic diversification, the province has a line of financing from the Agrarian Development Support Fund (FADA), for the benefit of producers located on the Cafu channel area.

He said that the action is in partnership with Invest Agro (a financing solution aimed at the agricultural and agro-industrial sectors), in order to obtain financing and agricultural support for peasants, where 20 projects were forwarded and are awaiting financing.

Felisberto Hisimungula highlighted that the intention is to make agricultural cooperatives produce more and more, causing imports to reduce significantly, as well as increasing employability and income generation for families.

Approved by Presidential Decree No. 169/18 of 20 July, PRODESI is an executive program to accelerate the diversification of national production and generation of wealth, in a set of productions with greater potential for generating export value and import substitution. FI/LHE/AC

Angop/CF/jmc