In 2015, the Ministry of Industry announced the construction, in phases, of 22 Industrial Development Poles in all provinces of the country, an initiative that aimed to help reduce unemployment, with the creation of countless jobs. OPAÍS spoke with some provincial officials who are waiting for the dream to materialize
Only seven industrial centers are in operation in the provinces of Luanda, Benguela, Cabinda, Huambo, Malanje, Uíge and Cuanza-Norte, with an average area of between one thousand and two thousand hectares, each of them, as announced last year by the former minister of Industry and Commerce Victor Fernandes.
The 22 hubs were designed to accompany integration into the African Free Trade Area (ACFTA) and the Southern Region. Benguela is positioned as one of the largest industrial parks in the country, but even so, some of the complexes have not been implemented. To OPAÍS, the director of the Benguela Integrated Economic Development Office, Samuel Maleze, said that the Canjala Hub is not working because the operator who was in charge of management abandoned it and, currently, the space is being vandalized.
The Canjala Hub was even operational, but for its reactivation, Samuel Maleze said it was necessary to install electricity on site and define the management model. “The infrastructure was already in operation, but was handed over to a company that did not continue and abandoned the project. We have scheduled visits, because it is being vandalized,” he said.
The official highlighted that Benguela is the province with the most reserves for the implementation of centers, highlighting that in addition to Canjala, there are industrial reserves in Biópio, Culando, Baía Farta (which already has a subdivision permit for its activation) and the Leseta Industrial Complex in Cubal. According to the person responsible, the Hubs in Biópio and Culando are part of the financing line of an Arab bank.
Currently, Benguela has two
Operating industrial hubs, Benguela, where the first and second phases of Grupo Carrinho’s industrial park are installed, and the Catumbela Industrial Development Hub (PDIC), which is aligned with the “Diversifica Mais” program in line with World Bank. In Grupo Carrinho’s industrial park, the third phase is expected to be implemented, with the installation of some factories, but, according to Samuel Maleze, this location still has insufficient electricity.
Cuanza-Sul and Bié In Cuanza-Sul, the Porto Amboim Industrial Pole was not implemented by the Ministry of Industry, justified by its central scope, despite having space with electricity installation. For its materialization, according to the director of the Integrated Economic Development Office of this province, Carlos Henrique, a number of other segments were missing for completion. Even so, Carlos Henrique said that his management continues to exert pressure to continue the project.
Carlos Henrique also said that in terms of the provincial development plan there were also plans for the construction of the Zambia Industrial Pole, which would be installed in the community with the same name, towards the municipality of Amboim (Gabela). The same happens with the Cunje Industrial Development Hub, in Bié, which is in the phase of mobilizing resources for its operation. In Cunje, there is a lack of basic services such as water and electricity, as explained by the director of the Bié Integrated Economic Development Office, Figueiredo Canguende.
As part of the organization of the reference plan produced by the Institute of Industrial Development and Innovation of Angola (IDIIA), only space was left for the construction of the infrastructure. It should be noted that, within the framework of the hub installation program, the province has spaces reserved for the implementation of industrial parks across the nine municipalities. Bié has construction industries, school supplies, raffia bags and a water bottling company.
Caála resists and is available to welcome new industries
The Caála Industrial Development Pole (PDIC) is an example of weather resistance. It has the capacity to house another 60 industrial units, but less than 20 are in operation. Even so, the provincial director of the Huambo Integrated Economic Development Office, Manuel Vitongue, said that the creation of the Caála Industrial Development Hub in 2015, which is managed by the Institute of Industrial Development and Technological Innovation of Angola (IDIIA ), has looked after the interests of the State and the community.
According to the PDIC plan, it has a size of one thousand and 80 hectares, with the person responsible mentioning that there is a lot of space available for the implementation of new industrial units, highlighting that it is still unattractive because it is not infrastructured as a whole, and there is a lack of water. “We have a station that distributes energy to industries located at the hub,” he said. In addition to the Caála Complex, the province has several industrial zones such as Chivas, São Pedro, São João and the lower city, the latter of which is “completely deactivated”.
It should be noted that industrial development poles and rural industrial parks are industrial location infrastructures, in which units are concentrated where entrepreneurs can install large, medium and small factories, and connect with raw material suppliers. of national or imported origin. In Angola, in addition to the industrial hubs, there are only three industrial parks in operation, namely Cacuso (Malanje), Tomboco (Zaire) and Canjala (Benguela)