Luanda - The Institute for the Management of State Assets and Holdings (IGAPE) presented Thursday to businesspeople the rules and procedures for the public tender of 39 units of the IU, IKA and BINA chains to take place via electronic auction.
Investors learnt about the technical specifications and location of the 28 hotels in the IU chain, 13 of which are fully operational and 15 of which are inoperative (although well equipped and ready to operate), built on an area of 3,760 square meters (m²), with seven floors, 60 rooms and a three-star category.
As for the 10 hotels in the IKA line, only one is in operation, three are not operational, while six are unfinished, built on an area of 10,950 square metres, with six floors supporting 150 rooms in the four-star category.
The only Bina hotel, an aparthotel, located in northern Zaire province, built on an area of 7,210 square meters, with 84 rooms spread over the building's 21 floors, is not operational but fully equipped.
According to the head of IGAPE's Privatization Department, João Sionguele, the public tender via electronic auction will take place in February, with the auction session lasting 24 hours, while applications will take 60 days.
Individuals and consortia, both national and foreign, are eligible to apply, based on prior registration on the tender platform (leilão.minfin.gov.ao/).
According to the official, once the call for tenders has been opened and the application submitted to the auction, interested parties have the opportunity to visit the hotels to check on the actual investment and thus make safer bids.
The IGAPE technician explained to the entrepreneurs that this purchase can be made, in percentage terms, by means of securitized public debt and not certified debt.
Ramiro Barreira, head of Hotels and Resorts Association of Angola (AHARA), Ramiro Barreira, said this will significantly contribute to the country's hotel network and would like national investors to take the lead.
"We need to put these hotels at the service of the Angolan economy to stimulate tourism and catering, as well as boosting the sector's contribution to the national treasury in terms of Gross Domestic Product, which is currently below one per cent," he argued.
In January, the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, authorised the opening of the public tender for the privatization of 39 IU, IKA and BINA hotels built in the country's 18 provinces.
According to Presidential Order no. 19/24 of 11 January, these hotels are part of the hotel network of the then AAA insurance company and their privatization is part of the Privatization Program (PROPRIV) for the period 2023 to 2026.
João Lourenço delegated competence to the Finance Minister, Vera Dalves, who can sub-delegate the practice of decision-making acts, as well as the verification of all the actions for the privatization of these hotel properties.
The Finance Minister is also tasked with setting up the Negotiating Committee, approving the procedural documents, awarding tenders, including the signing of contracts. OPF/AC/TED/AMP
