Luanda — Angola's Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Carmen do Sacramento Neto dos Santos, said in Luanda on Wednesday that the formalisation of the 116 informal landing sites operating in Angola is urgent, so that they can contribute to the growth of the national economy.
Speaking at the opening of the 6th edition of the Economy and Market (E&M) Conference, the minister noted that these informal landing sites have caused conflicts with other activities required along Angola's coastline.
For this reason, the minister said public policies are being developed to formalise the 116 landing sites, with a view to enhancing the dignity of communities navigating along the coast.
Angola currently has 222 landing sites, 116 of which are informal.
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Among various policies, she explained that the Government is promoting the concept of associations through various initiatives and in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), to organise people in terms of registration and social inclusion.
"The registration process involves knowing who they are, how many there are and how they operate, as well as identifying who brings in the fish, what type of fish they bring, where it was caught and how they contribute to the economy," she said.
She considered it a process that would require time because formalisation "cannot be done overnight".
According to the minister, Angola needs to convert its marine potential into economic value that remains in the country and improves the lives of Angolans.
She added that this value should be reflected in the quality of food reaching families, the activities of companies, young people's skills, community incomes, and the country's capacity to produce, process and compete regionally and internationally.
Regarding the theme of the 6th edition of the Conference, she said the blue economy requires an integrated vision of the territory, natural resources and economic activity.
In the minister's view, fisheries, salt production, ports, maritime transport, shipbuilding and ship repair, the oil and offshore gas industries, coastal tourism and scientific research should be developed in an organised manner.
Meanwhile, KPMG Angola's head of consulting, Carlos Borges, advocated the creation of value chains through the blue economy to generate employment, enhance knowledge and attract investment to develop activities in Angola.
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He said it was essential to place Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) at the centre of coordinated infrastructure planning.
To this end, he continued, it is important to develop strategies.
"The blue economy is not only about what is in the sea; in addition, it has a very strong impact on employment," he stressed.
As an example, he said the blue economy had created 49 million jobs, both directly and indirectly, across the African continent.
During the 6th edition of the E&M Conference, specialists discussed topics such as "Ports and logistics corridors: Infrastructure to boost maritime industry and trade" and "New value chains and investment opportunities in the maritime and marine sector".
Held under the theme "From maritime potential to industrial development - Port and transport infrastructure, processing and new value chains", the event aimed to analyse Angola's challenges and propose practical solutions for the local market.
The Economy and Market (E&M) Conference is one of Angola's main forums for business and macroeconomic debate.
Organised periodically by Economia & Mercado magazine, it brings together policymakers, businesspeople, investors and specialists to discuss the country's economic development prospects. AMC/CS/DOJ
