HE Mario Cayetano João, Minister of Economy and Planning of the Republic of Angola, praised the diplomatic efforts made by the State of Qatar to bring peace to the African continent, as well as the development projects it offers to support African and least developed countries. In a special dialogue with Al-Sharq, His Excellency welcomed cooperation with Doha to achieve development programs characterized by continuity and profitability, as well as interest in sharing the Qatari experience and learning from it, especially in sustainable development and education. And the Angolan Minister of Economy and Planning indicated that there are many areas of cooperation between the two countries, especially in the economic field and agricultural industries, explaining that both governments are working very seriously to consolidate bilateral cooperation, as a number of agreements will be signed in the coming period to enhance economic cooperation in addition to organizing more visits and meetings. Bilateral to strengthen relations between the two countries. Mr. Joao highlighted that visits will be organized for Qatari businessmen to Angola in order to deepen economic relations and discuss the possibility of cooperation and the establishment of projects in many fields such as the banking, health and agricultural sectors. The following is the full text of the interview with His Excellency.
How do you find Qatar’s role in supporting sustainable development in Africa in general and in Angola in particular? African countries suffer from many constraints to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. We in the Republic of Angola are working hard to move from the ranks of least developed countries to developing countries. Certainly, the Qatari efforts in support of development and development in our countries are extremely important. Doha, by hosting the Conference of the Least Developed Countries, provided an international platform for sharing experiences and developing development programs to overcome the current challenges posed by the global crisis and its repercussions that all countries suffer from, especially the poor ones. It is important for each country to find its own solutions through collective dialogue in international forums and in cooperation with international organizations. We can adopt some of these solutions while ensuring implementation, because making plans without implementation is meaningless. It is important for us to cooperate with the State of Qatar to achieve development programs characterized by continuity and profitability, in addition to our interest in sharing the Qatari experience and learning from it, especially in sustainable development and education. The African continent suffers from several conflicts. How do you see the role played by Qatar in bringing about peace? We very much appreciate the diplomatic effort that Qatar is making to bring peace to the African continent, in addition to the development projects it offers, especially in the field of education. . We see that the Qatari and Angolan government have very similar approaches, we are able to fight through very difficult situations. Angola served as a battleground during the Cold War, we have a lot of experience dealing with very difficult times and the tense political environment of the countries around us. We see that the State of Qatar is also trying to find various political solutions to end conflicts and resolve disputes on the African continent and beyond. What are the possible areas of cooperation between the two countries? There are many areas of cooperation between the two countries, especially in the economic field and agricultural industries. We depend on agricultural investments as a major driver for diversifying our economy. As you know, Angola is the first producer of oil in sub-Saharan Africa, but it is not possible to rely solely on the oil sector because this trend is very dangerous for the national economy, since all international companies are linked to petroleum activity, and therefore payments, profits, and so on come largely from abroad, so we We need to find diversified economic activities that will have a greater impact and be more lasting. For example: the oil sector is responsible for two-thirds of our revenues, but it does not provide the sufficient employment opportunities that the country needs to achieve sustainability in the short and long term. I think that the Qatari experience is inspiring in achieving economic diversification and investing in energy and human resources in a well-studied manner. As you know, we opened our embassies in Doha a short time ago. Both governments are working very well to consolidate bilateral cooperation. Therefore, we expect a number of joint agreements to be signed in the coming period to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries. Certainly, we need more mutual visits and bilateral meetings to strengthen relations and cooperation between the Republic of Angola and the State of Qatar. We know that Qatar also needs land to produce agricultural products destined for consumption and export. We possess vast fertile areas and labor force, and we are ready for a development partnership that will benefit both peoples. We are also open to cooperation and opening doors for trade exchange between the two countries. What are the incentives offered by Angola to encourage Qatari investments? Investing in Angola does not mean that you are investing in a market destined for only 30 million people. You are investing in sub-Saharan Africa, as the GDP of our region is $1 trillion, and our country can be a gateway to expanding Qatari investments in the brown continent. Angola also has a wealth of other natural resources, including minerals, water, agriculture, forests, and fisheries.
Of course, we need to organize visits for Qatari businessmen to Angola in order to deepen economic relations and discuss the possibility of cooperation and the establishment of projects in many fields such as the banking, health and agricultural sectors. We have free zones that are characterized by very low taxes and fees, and this provides competitiveness to any Qatari businessman or investment. We also offer a good and stable political environment on the African continent, which is very important. We are distinguished by a skilled workforce and high productivity. The government has been involved in implementing major projects, such as the privatization program, reviewing the private investment law, reforming the tax system, and increasing support for the productive sector of the actual economy. And investing in Angola enables access to the South African market because we are in a free trade zone, which means that the investor is not obliged to pay transportation fees from one country to another to export products: you do not need to pay fees if you produce a Qatari product in Angola, you can of course export to neighboring countries Without paying fees so I think this is an incentive that can encourage a businessman to invest in Angola. You talked about cooperation in the field of education, what are the aspects of partnership? The least developed and African countries in general face difficulties in the learning process, schooling rates, and other problems, especially in terms of the quality of education and the provision of modern technologies that keep pace with development in the world. Qatar Foundation to help us put education back on track in Angola. Education is very important to us because it is the first catalyst for building knowledge, developing institutional capabilities, and building a strong economy that can be relied upon to build a better future. We asked the Qatar Foundation to help us build a good educational system, and we believe that we will start this partnership with Qatar, which has invested impressively in education and achieved remarkable growth and development in this field. We also sensed great willingness to help African countries and our countries in this vital field.
