The vessel will help ensure regular maritime transport of passengers and cargo, with a direct impact on mobility, territorial cohesion and support for economic activities.
The Angolan State will disburse €9.6 million (approximately USD 11.5 million) for the acquisition, on the international market, of a RO-PAX (Roll-On/Roll-Off Passenger) vessel, with the aim of addressing mobility challenges in the country, Economia & Mercado magazine has learned.
The decision is set out in Presidential Order No. 24/26 of 26 January, in which the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, links the acquisition of the vessel to the need for an “immediate reinforcement” of the operational capacity of Secil Marítima, S.A., an entity overseen by the Ministry of Transport (MINTRANS).
In the document accessed by E&M, the President stresses that acquiring the vessel is necessary to ensure the continuity and regularity of maritime transport for passengers and cargo, with a direct impact on mobility.
João Lourenço adds, in the order recently published in the Official Gazette, that the purchase of a RO-PAX vessel will also have an impact on territorial cohesion and support for economic activities, particularly in a context of increased demand and the need to improve the quality of public services provided.
To implement the vessel purchase contract, the Head of the Executive Branch delegates to the Minister of Transport — who, in turn, may sub-delegate — all powers to act on behalf of the State in the transaction.
A RO-PAX (Roll-On/Roll-Off Passenger) vessel is a hybrid type of ship designed to carry both rolling cargo (vehicles such as cars) and passengers, combining features of ferries and cargo ships.
Source: Economia & Mercado
