This Thursday, the administrator of the North American Development Agency (USAID) advocated for greater transparency in government procurement in Angola to boost investor confidence and announced a new partnership worth US$3.5 million.
During a visit to the Lobito Corridor (Bengela, southern Angola), Samantha Power highlighted the catalytic role of North American funding in unlocking “the potential of the Angolan people” and noted the benefits of this rail link that will help transform Angola into a “hub” commercial.
On the other hand, he stressed that the US goals for the Lobito corridor, which crosses Angola and connects the port of Lobito on the Atlantic coast to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, are not only to build infrastructure, but to do it well.
To achieve this, procedures must be transparent and open to promote quality work and create jobs for local communities, he added.
The same person in charge announced in this context a new partnership between USAID and the Angolan Executive Branch worth $3.5 million (€3.26 million) to promote greater transparency in government awards, which also involves deepening work with civil society, the media and institutions. so that Angolans “receive fair value for what they paid.”
“These are state resources that need to be protected,” he emphasized, emphasizing the importance of a system of counterbalances in management.
Samantha Power said Angola had made progress in fighting corruption in recent years, but added that significant improvements were needed to attract private investment.
“Angola will not realize its full economic potential unless investors have confidence that they can operate transparently and that the rule of law will prevail,” a USAID spokesperson said.
On the other hand, he noted that under the current heads of state, relations between Angola and the United States are stronger than ever, and believed that they would not be affected if the White House had a new tenant after the next presidential election, on November 5.
“The United States has values and interests that endure, as reflected in the deepening of this relationship, so I believe they will endure not only into the next election cycle, but for many generations to come,” Samantha Power continued.
Angolan Transport Minister Ricardo Abreu said the government remains committed to the national railway plan and plans to begin the concession of the Mosamedes (south) railway corridor later this year.
On the other hand, he admitted that the way these projects are financed “is the biggest challenge,” calling for the development of the private sector.