ANGOLA – Angola has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dutch government, on co-financing the implementation of an agro-logistics center in the province of Benguela.
The construction of the logistics center, which will store, pack, transform and package agricultural products, targeted for the European market, will be co-financed by The Netherlands and Angola.
To this end, the Dutch government will provide a credit line of up to 60 million euros (US$73m) to be channelled towards the establishment of the facility, serving the Port of Lobito.
The agreement establishes not only the co-financing, but also foresees the transfer of knowledge and training on treatment, conditioning and packing of fruits and vegetables, to ensure they meet the requirements of the expansive European market.
The document was signed by the Ministry of Transport, represented by the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Regulatory Agency for Cargo and Logistics Certification (ARCCLA), Catarino de Fontes Pereira, and by the Minister Counselor at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Angola, Marc Léon Mazarac.
“The Netherlands is the gateway to and from Europe. Almost everything passes through the Port of Rotterdam, so is Lobito, which has the same conditions to be the gateway, not only for products that come or leave Angola, but also for landlocked neighboring countries such as DRC and Zambia.”
Minister Counselor at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Angola – Marc Léon Mazarac
Marc Leon highlighted that the two countries are strategically located as they are entry points into the greater continents of Africa and Europe respectively.
“The Netherlands is the gateway to and from Europe. Almost everything passes through the Port of Rotterdam, so is Lobito, which has the same conditions to be the gateway, not only for products that come or leave Angola, but also for landlocked neighbouring countries such as DRC and Zambia,” he pointed out.
Catarino de Fontes Pereira indicated that the total value of the project has not yet been defined as Angola’s financial participation in the construction will be guaranteed by the business community.
To this end, businessmen have been charged to prepare a Master Plan with the different sectors of the production chain, in a bid to assess the real cost of the logistics center.
The future logistics platform is the result of a study carried out two years ago, whose objective is to invest in infrastructure to support the national economy, in the light of the Production Support Program, Export Diversification and Substitution of Imports (PRODESI).
The investment is also part of the development strategy of the National Network of Logistics Platforms, which aims to streamline and make the Lobito corridor more profitable, a fundamental mechanism to facilitate trade and improve the business environment in Angola.
