Luanda - The economic development of Angola’s railroads requires the privatisation of the services, in face of the programme of rehabilitation and modernization of the sector, which started in 2006, the economist Ottoniel de Almeida Manuel said Thursday, in Luanda.
Speaking at the launch of his first literary work "O Planeamento Estratégico Como Factor de Sucesso dos Caminhos de Ferro de Angola" (Strategic Planning as a Success Factor for the Angolan Railroads, lit translation), the economist stressed that following the huge investments made by the state in the railway sector it is crucial to allow the entry of private players to boost and leverage production.
Ottoniel Manuel informed that his thought is not isolated, as it is associated to the ongoing project of the Angolan state, with the launch in 2021 of the international public tender for the concession of the Lobito corridor of the Benguela Railroad (CFB).
Ottoniel Manuel, who is also the Technical Administrator of CFB said the privatization of railway services is increasingly necessary since currently the sector's contribution to the Gross Domestic Product is still incipient and the current picture will only change with the acceleration of the activity through the inclusion of the private sector.
The project to rehabilitate the entire railway network of Angola in a length of 2,612 kilometers began in 2006 and was completed in 2017, being defined by three structural lines, respectively Benguela Railway, Luanda Railway and Moçâmedes Railway.
