A total of 103 entrepreneurs and 15 cooperatives from the municipalities of Nzeto, Ambriz and Barra do Dande, belonging to the provinces of Zaire and Bengo, benefited, yesterday, from microcredits within the scope of actions framed in the National Agenda for Employment, which aims, among others initiatives, support for initiatives that generate employment and income.
The values were between 500 thousand and 7 million kwanzas, totaling, in total, an amount above the 100 million granted to cooperatives and entrepreneurs operating in the fishing industry in those two parts of the national territory.
With the gesture, the Executive, through the National Institute of Employment and Professional Training (INEFOP), understands that, with the volume of microcredits granted to local entrepreneurs, many jobs will be created, which will reduce the social difficulties of many citizens from the provinces of Zaire and Bengo, as said by the Secretary of State for Labor and Social Security, Pedro Filipe.
According to the government official, the delivery of microcredits is part of the actions guided by the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, approved in the National Agenda for Employment.
According to Pedro Filipe, the aforementioned Agenda will give priority to the productive sector and the real economy.
In this sense, he said, fishing is also part of it, with the municipalities of Nzeto, Ambriz and Barra do Dande, belonging to the provinces of Zaire and Bengo, respectively, having strong potential for fishing development.
The Secretary of State also appealed to beneficiaries to invest in production and create more jobs. He promised that the Executive will continue to promote the initiatives of entrepreneurs, so that the economy is stronger and more sustainable.
He warned that it is important that beneficiaries return the credits so that more Angolans benefit and everyone lives with dignity.
“We need help from everyone to reverse the unemployment situation, unfortunately, there are still many young people in these conditions, as well as without professional training”, he lamented.
Pedro Filipe assured that the Executive intends to give more opportunities to young people, in order to have job opportunities, including those who finish their academic training, to be included in Professional Internships.
The struggle for development
For his part, the director of the National Institute of Employment and Professional Training (INEFOP), Manuel Mbangui, considered that the fight for Angola’s development must be continuous, hence the Executive’s commitment to promoting employability.
He highlighted that the National Employment Agenda will accelerate employment policies, which is why they work with several partners for its success. Manuel Mbangui warned that microcredit beneficiaries have up to three months without returning the credit, with an interest rate of 1.67, with the possibility of training to receive guidance on how to manage the business.