The Bank that has financed the economy the most under the Angola Investe program is very receptive to analyzing feasible proposals whose implementation aims to change the current GDP structure,'' a source from Banco Millennium Atlântico told OPAÍS. During the visit to factories, shipyards and customer offices, the bank officials assessed the degree of implementation of several projects and gauged the concerns of entrepreneurs.

In the area of scientific research, the agreement provides for the development of actions aimed at promoting scientific research projects relevant to certain sectors, subject to evaluation by Banco Millennium Atlântico's team of consultants.

'On the Bank's part there is a commitment to the Angolan economy and to businessmen in the sense that together they will find the best equations to overcome the constraints resulting from the monetary and exchange rate adversity that the country is experiencing,' added the source, who stressed that 'the bank cultivates a culture of proximity with customers and has regularly implemented visits to the provinces to, in loco, understand the real potential, the projects and visit the facilities and equipment of businessmen to better understand the constraints in their operations.

In the course of the visit of ATLANTICO's senior officials to Namibe and Huila, following on from those already made to Kwanza Sul and Benguela, the president of AAPCIL - Associação Agro-pecuária Comercial e Industrial da Huila, was quite pleased because 'the banks cannot continue to analyze the projects in Luanda, they have to go out into the field and realize, as ATLANTICO does, interact directly with the businessmen, verify in loco, what is being done and intends to be done'.

Paulo Gaspar praised the fact that ATLANTICO is the first Angolan bank to go to Huila to hold an executive committee and, together with the businessmen, understand their concerns.

'This is the path to a healthier bank that is more committed to the challenges of the national economy,' he stressed. In his turn, Daniel Santos, president of the Executive Committee of ATLANTICO, gave assurances that 'the bank is committed to the growth and development of the Angolan economy in a sustainable way', stressing that '11% of the credit disbursed under the Angola Investe program was aimed at companies in Huila province'.

As a balance sheet, our source said that the bank classified 'the mission to the provinces of Namibe and Huila' as 'very positive', since the visit allowed interaction with the businessmen and authorities of these provinces and the meetings invariably tended to address ways of finding the most viable equations to, despite adversity, achieve, through the engagement of all, the growth of the productive sector.