Porto Amboim E.P. (Port of Amboim company) has put a top priority for 2023 the dredging of the docks to facilitate maritime navigation and stimulate commercial activity in the port of Amboim, in centre-west Cuanza Sul Province, the company’s CEO Francisco Fernandes said last week.
Speaking to ANGOP, Francisco Fernandes said there was a huge problem with the dredging of the docks and that it would be solved with the concessions or attribution of licences to be granted to private operators to facilitate maritime navigation.
Also read: 75% of Angolans say climate change already affecting everyday life
Francisco Fernandes added that currently the company does not intend to build a deep-water port, but to revive commercial activity in some terminals, which involves fixing the dredging of the docks to attract ship traffic and stimulate trade.
The port CEO said the company is open to the possibility of granting other concessions to companies interested in investing in the waterfront as part of the Port Management Plan.
The Port Management Plan has existed since 2021, the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Transport are involved and aims amongst other things, to boost the port of Amboim, attract investments, recapitalisation plan, access for ships and maritime signage.
In terms of gains from the concession or licences, the CEO pointed out that the State will collect more revenues (business volume) and for the port company the operators will have to pay fixed and variable rents (space rental) to be defined, as there are no stipulated prices and there have never been charges in this area.
Questioned about the variable rent, Francisco Fernandes replied “this is done due to the asymmetries existing in the port sector and because it is not yet possible to stimulate, or compare a fee charged in Luanda and locally.
Fernandes added that the operators that are negotiating do not currently have large investments, but there were plans by the government to bring a shipyard to Porto Amboim that would work with PAENAL and possibly the oil state firm Sonangol.
Another focus is on training of staff in the maritime area for the next five years on small-scale cabotage with a passenger terminal.
Empresa Portuária do Amboim E.P., which does not carry out port activities, aims to “provide the municipality and the province with a logistics and port platform capable of boosting the economic and social development of the central region, creating value for employees, families and shareholders and the country.
Its mission is “to ensure the modernisation, automation and constant improvement of service provision to the port community, to value human capital and care for the surrounding environment in accordance with international maritime conventions”.
Also read: Angola ZEE awarded best economic zone of African continent prize
History of the Commercial Port
The first quay bridge of the Commercial Port , with a length of 115 metres, was built in 1927, with a new quay bridge of equal length built in 1956.
Since 2010, the Port of Amboim Company has had four CEOs.
A new project drawn up in 2017 aimed to build a modern commercial port in a 80 hectares area and 30 hectares for the dry port, whose jetty would initially receive two ships simultaneously and in the final phase seven ships.
The port would be built by a consortium made up of Sonangol Holding and Sogester with a 70 percent stake and the remainder with private capital.
