The articulation among the air, maritime and rail and road sub-sectors will facilitate Angola’s integration in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) market.

This was said Thursday in Luanda by Angolan minister of Transport, Augusto da Silva Tomás, on the fringes of a session of SADC ministers, in the country on the occasion of the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the region that starting on June 1 in Luanda.

According to the minister, with the articulation of the said sub-sectors, Angola will have created conditions for development and flow of production of goods and services from its Special Economic Zone, minerals, agricultural and fishing resources to other countries of the region.

He added that the creation of such transport infrastructures will expand the market through the penetration of Angola into southern Africa, as infrastructures are the epicentre of the national economy.

Augusto Tomás reiterated that Angola has a transport sector’s infrastructure programme based on the four mentioned components, adding that a comprehensive programme of construction and repair of roads, railways, airports and ports is in motion, in view of the maritime transport, as part of the development of the region and the African transports network.

On the other hand, the minister considered relevant Angola’s geo-strategic position in the region, stressing the country’s possibility to communicate with the other countries of the region by road, sea, rail and air.

He recalled that Angola has rehabilitated the railways of Luanda, Benguela and Moçâmades that will connect the country with the neighbouring Namibia, Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo.

The official also mentioned an ongoing programme for road connection with Zambia, Namibia and Democratic Republic of Congo, with benefits to the peoples of other countries of the region.

He also mentioned that the Lobito, Cabinda and Namibe ports will facilitate trade and support the sectors of industry, agriculture, fisheries and mining, with improvement to the region’s logistics platform, especially for landlocked countries.

The Extraordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government from June 1 in Luanda will discuss such matters as creation of a SADC Development Fund and adoption of methods for mobilisation of financial resources for the organisation.

Meanwhile the SAD ministers were on Thursday informed on the agenda for the Summit of Heads of State and Government.

 

Source: http://allafrica.com