Luanda – Angola’s private companies recently selected in a public tender will import 270,000 tons of rice from May to December to ensuring food security in the country this year, while protecting local production of this cereal.
This operation will be carried out by the companies Noble Group, Anseba, Angoalissar, Bsrat General Trading, Beilul Comércio Geral, Merhat Comércio e Indústria, Ros'bien, Gulkis and Hidmona General, which are also committed to the acquisition of rice produced in the country, according to a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Trade to which ANGOP had access on Tuesday.
According to the document, these operators will import milled or semi-milled rice, 5% broken, in bags of 25 to 50 kilograms, with the aim of complementing national production for the current year.
As the note highlights, the import process will be done in three stages, with the first batch being made from May to July, the second from August to October and the last in December this year.
This measure, the document advances, falls within the scope of article 149 of Law No. 41/20, of December 23 - Public Procurement Law (LCP), as well as Order No. 035/2024 of April 12, which authorized the opening of the Electronic Dynamic Procedure for Rice Import Licensing.
The aim of this initiative is to establish rules of transparency, free competition for imports, at the best price, adequate quantity and continuity of supply of this product.
Thus, the note reads, in the evaluation, the proposal that presented the lowest price (420 thousand kwanzas/ton) was awarded, based on the comparative reference prices of the international market and the price declared by economic operators (Kz 700 thousand per ton), registered in the Integrated Foreign Trade System (SICOEX), during the past years.
This difference represents a significant price reduction, allowing the country to save about 280,000 kwanzas/ton, that is, a decrease of about 50%, according to the statement.
Rice is one of the foods widely consumed by the Angolan population, but national production is still insufficient to cover the estimated annual demand for this product, according to a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. OPF/QCB/DOJ
