ANGOLA - Transport
CEO, Porto do Lobito
Bio
Celso Rodrigues de Lemos Rosas holds a degree in international relations from the Higher Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow, a postgraduate in human resources management from the Catholic University of Lisbon, a postgraduate in higher studies on transport from the Higher Institute of Management of Lisbon, and a postgraduate in business management from the Catholic University of Lisbon. He was previously managing director & president of Enditrade/Endiama, director of the 4 de Fevereiro International Airport, administrator of ENANA for airport management, deputy director of INAVIC, president of the Railway of Luanda, and president of UNICARGAS before becoming CEO of Porto do Lobito in 2020.
Porto de Lobito is a deep-water port in Angola, with infrastructure dedicated to accommodating large vessels. It has six terminals with depths ranging from 5m to 15.30m and 17m to 34m in the access channel. This provides safety in the docking and undocking of vessels and the operation of diverse cargo types. Nowadays, our port is the link for the logistical intermodality of the Lobito corridor; its terminals are equipped with infrastructure and are served by a railway line that connects the port to bordering countries. That railway is considered the fastest and most accessible means of transportation for diverse products to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Botswana. Ours is an operator port, and the most sought-after services are ship support services (docking, entrance to the anchor, mooring) and cargo services, among other port services.
Our port brings huge advantages for our country as a link between maritime, rail, and road transport systems. Porto de Lobito is added to other infrastructure that make up the Lobito Corridor. The intermodal freight transport solution allowed the connection of the east route, which contributes to the economic development not only of Angola, but also of the landlocked countries. Our terminals are equipped with infrastructures, served by the railway line, and it is the fastest and most accessible route for the transportation of products. It has terminals of depth, and an access channel to operate large ships. At the same time, it also allows the movement of different types of loads. We think that the relevance of our port lies in the fact that it is well positioned. For example, the DRC today boasts the largest natural reserves in the world, and the Lobito corridor, where our port is located, is the easiest, safest, and more economical route for the transport of resources.
We have built an “offensive” in the commercial domain, in which we are not only close to the interior of our country, but also looking abroad as well. Currently, we are closest to Angolan entrepreneurs. We are signing agreements and contracts that will allow our port to start registering a considerable volume of exports. We are an operator port, and as such, we have to have a good performance that goes through capacities. Our company is working to improve the state and performance of our equipment and resources, though we recognize they are not the best yet. Such improvements require high investments. Our board of directors, aiming to create an environment conducive and favorable to functionality, has determined that we prioritize our workers. We are investing heavily in training, and are in the process of transformation into a “school company.” We also give a basic basket to our workers every month, which has risen from AOA30,000 to AOA50,000. We are also investing in medical care through our clinic, Clínica do Porto. We will continue to do everything in our power so that our social responsibility is expressive and recognizable.
We want our port and its evolution to bring us value. We want to continue to work so that we can manage and make the most of all our assets within the scope of our administrative plan. We want to optimize all the resources of our poles, and have several assets to help us do that. One goal is to improve all areas of jurisdiction of the port of Lobito. To achieve this, we will continue to work with the provincial government and the administration of the country to make the most of our resources in harmony. Another key plan we continue to work on involves the digitization of our company to increase performance, efficiency, and effectiveness.
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ANGOLA - Economy
Interview
President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Angola-Saudi Arabia (CCIAAS)