The government of Angola plans to foster partnerships between producers, consumers and public bodies to promote the replacement of imports by domestic production, the angolan Minister for Industry said in Luanda.

At the end of a meeting with representatives of business organisations and consumer associations, Minister Bernarda Martins said that Angola has been manufacturing products with the quality needed to compete with foreign countries, which requires reducing imports of some of those products.

The first step is to identify major producers and potential consumers, said Martins, who pointed out that the biggest supply and demand was focused on the sectors of beverages, health, cement, school equipment and uniforms.

In 2014, there were 66 food companies in Angola that produced more than 40 widely consumed products, 48 beverage companies, 65 metallurgical companies, 36 plastics companies and 38 companies producing construction materials, according to state newspaper Jornal de Angola.

“Joint action by associations and federations of producers and consumers progressively allows imports to be replaced and development of mechanisms to produce in quantity and quality,” noted the Minister of Industry. (macauhub/AO)