Luanda: The Program to Support Production, Export Diversification, and Import Substitution (PRODESI) has established itself as a key instrument in implementing the Government's economic policy to promote national production and industrialization, and to strengthen the Angolan business sector.

According to Angola Press News Agency, this statement was made today, Wednesday, by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rui de Oliveira, at the opening of the institution's sixth Consultative Council meeting, held in the municipality of Luau under the theme "Integrate, produce, and market: paths to sustainable growth."

He reported that in the first quarter of this year, credit granted under PRODESI grew by 79% compared to the same period in 2025, with disbursements reaching approximately 85.5 billion kwanzas. He noted that, despite the work still to be done-particularly regarding credit and financing for the productive sector-this indicator demonstrates growing confidence among economic agents and the financial system in the country's productive capacity.

It also represents new industrial units, new agricultural operations, new opportunities for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, more jobs, and greater productive capacity for the country. According to the minister, the Executive aims, through these incentives, to increase the country's productive capacity and generate more jobs, especially for young people.

For Rui de Oliveira, labor market indicators show that economic transformation must translate into concrete opportunities for citizens and improvements in their social conditions. He revealed that in the first quarter of 2026, the employed population was estimated at approximately 9.56 million people, with an employment rate of 42.3% and an unemployment rate of 21.3%.

According to the minister, the industry and commerce sectors play a decisive role here, as "every industrial unit that opens or expands, every producer that finds a market, every merchant that formalizes their business, every logistics corridor that operates more efficiently, and every micro, small, or medium-sized enterprise that gains access to financing and technical assistance represents more income, more jobs, greater inclusion, and further development."

Among the Executive's measures to boost these two sectors, he highlighted Presidential Decree No. 213/23 of October 30, which establishes mechanisms to incentivize domestic production and strengthens the conditions for increasing the competitiveness of Angolan producers. He also noted Executive Decree No. 393/25, which approves rules for the import of pre-packaged products; this contributes to better market organization and the promotion of domestic production by integrating the packaging value chain-a chain that itself generates synergies based on recycling, thereby contributing to job creation and environmental improvement.

He added that the recently published Executive Decree No. 130/26 of May 27 further reinforced this strategy by mandating that economic operators licensed to import five widely consumed products (pork, chicken, standard milled rice, refined sugar, and tilapia) must source at least 20% of their intended import volumes from domestic producers. He described this as a structural measure that secures a market for domestic production, thereby fostering investment, employment, income generation, industrialization, and economic growth.