The Portuguese-speaking African countries and Timor-Leste (PALOP-TL) will have access to 26 million euros provided by the European Union (EU) to support two projects to promote employment in the cultural sector and reforms in the management of public finances, which was signed on Wednesday on the island of Sal in Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), the EU delegation in the archipelago said.

The first project focuses on the performing arts, including music, dance and theatre and will strengthen technical training in the sector, increase the access of cultural products from PALOP-TL countries to national, regional and international markets and support the creation and diffusion of literary publications of the region mainly to children and young people.

The project on public finance management systems in the PALOP-TL will consolidate the initiatives of the supreme public finance control institutions, including civil society, to improve accountability, efficiency and transparency of public finance systems in the six countries – Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe and Timor-Leste.

This support is provided through the 11th European Development Fund and its ultimate objective is to contribute to more inclusive and sustainable growth of those six countries.

The documents were signed on the sidelines of the 12th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), which decided that the 13th Summit will take place in Angola in 2020 and elected Portuguese ambassador Francisco Ribeiro Teles as the institution’s new executive secretary. (macauhub)