The first phase of construction of the National Maritime Coordination and Surveillance Centre, located in Barra do Cuanza, Luanda, is due to end in December.
The date for completion of the first phase, initially set for March 2024, was confirmed at the end of the visit of the President João Lourenço to the construction of this infrastructure on Thursday.
“In a few minutes we have just decided that the contractor should deliver this work in December of this year, contrary to what had initially been planned – March 2024,” the Angolan Head of State told the press at the end of the visit.
“The work must be delivered by December this year,” said the President João Lourenço, adding that the second phase of the project will be handed over 18 months later, starting from December this year.
President João Lourenço also told the press that the work was awarded on 11 September 2019.
According to the head of State, with the completion of the first phase next December, the centre can start operating.
João Lourenço said his visit to the construction site is intended to assess possible difficulties and make decisions. He said he hoped that as of today the picture he found at the construction site change in a radical way.
He expect that the infrastructure would work in coordination with the centres located in Soyo, (northern Zaire province), Lobito (Benguela) and Namibe, located along the Angolan coast.
Maritime security
João Lourenço defended maritime security with resources on land and at sea, the latter with naval ships, and on land with infrastructures, including naval bases and surveillance centres.
Also Commander-in-Chief of the Angolan Armed Forces, João Lourenço said Luanda centre will be tasked with monitoring the movements taking place in national waters, 24 hours a day.
With a contract estimated at US$60.9 million, the project has 80 percent financial execution.
The future National Maritime Coordination and Surveillance Centre is being built in a total area of 32 hectares, including the space set aside for expansion.
Angola has a maritime coast of 1,650 kilometres, from north to south, bathed by the Atlantic Ocean.
Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)