Angola wants SADC development fund a reality

LUANDA – The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Development Fund that has been mooted for many years, might become a reality within the next 12 months.

The Angolan Minister of External Affairs, Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, made this promise in his official message to the SADC Heads of State and Government Summit taking place here yesterday, during which his country will assume the chair of the regional body.’During Angola’s mandate, SADC will try to put its Development Fund into operation in order to respond to several political and economic challenges faced by the Community,’ Chikoti said.The SADC Council of Ministers, in a meeting held in Windhoek in March, discussed ways and means to make the fund a reality after it was discussed by SADC Finance Ministers in February to reduce over-reliance on funding from its development partners.’Other aspects that will contribute to the development of the organisation during Angola’s mandate include the completion of the master plan for infrastructure, the mobilisation of resources for the projects aiming for an increase in the capacity of regional energy production, the assessment of the indicative strategic plan for regional development, and the consolidation of the Free Trade Zone, since SADC must meet numerous hard economic and social challenges,’ Chikoti said.Angola would also like to be a role-model in terms of economic and social progress, as it is inspired by SADC’s development and growth, he said. – Nampa

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