Angola: US Ambassador defends dynamism in using AGOA
Angolan entrepreneurs should continue to make efforts to take greater advantage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), said last Thursday in Luanda the ambassador of the United States of America (USA) to Angola, Helen La Lime.
The diplomat, who was speaking at a press conference held in the framework of Angola's participation in the Second Business Summit USA/Africa, which happened last September 26, in Washington, said that Angola has not yet taken full advantage of the relations it has established through AGOA.
She said so far Angola has taken more advantage of AGOA through the crude-oil sector, a scenario that will be changed with the measures being taken by the Angolan Executive in terms of economic diversification.
Helen La Lime went on to say that AGOA will go on for another ten years and that there will always be other programmes similar to AGOA which Angola will be able to use.
She also commended the trade that exists in the coffee sector between her country and Angola, with the U.S so far receiving 40 tons of this product through the Baltimore Port, deeming this fact a positive step for Angola.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Community of Exporting and Internationalised Firms of Angola (CEEIA), Agostinho Kapaia, admitted that the big deficit in the exportation of Angolan products is linked to production.
"Indeed, we do not have enough production to compete with other markets, such as South Africa and others at the level of SADC. The solution is to make partnerships so that we can be able to learn more", Agostinho Kapaia admitted during the press conference.