Seaport development in Angola

Abstract

Seaport development is an objective set by the Angolan Government to exceed country's potential and growth. Previous literature has shown the importance of a country's efficient seaport infrastructure in a competitive and safe environment to attract investors. Angola has made improvements over the years but still needs to overcome persistent challenges to accomplish its potential. Thus, this thesis analyses seaport development's performance and its impact on Angola's GDP, identifying the main obstacles to investment and possible recommendations. To answer the research questions, I analysed an econometric analysis with Gretl Software and conducted interviews with industry experts from international institutions and executives from private companies. My findings point out the significant relationship between Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (LSCI) and Quality of Port Infrastructure Index (QPI), with Angola's GPD showing the importance of upgrading seaport infrastructure. Moreover, interviews revealed that the key investment bottlenecks in Angola involve political stability, lack of government policy, high risk of investments, and an unfavourable economic market. Lastly, this thesis suggests several recommendations to mitigate these limiting factors, such as creating stronger regulations, fighting corruption, and improving international seaport compliance.

Date of Award	27 Apr 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Peter V. Rajsingh (Supervisor) & André de Almeida Pinho (Co-Supervisor)