Forum Macao delegates need greater internal support, says Cabo Verde representative

Forum Macao needs to be equipped with an advisory office to support delegates in the backing of contacts so there is a greater realisation to attract investments, said Cabo Verde delegate, Nuno Furtado in an interview with Tribuna de Macau newspaper.

Furtado, who has been the Cabo Verde delegate in Macao since 2017, said that he has already proposed the creation of this office “but there has still been no positive reaction from either the Macao or the Chinese side”.

Referring to the role of Forum Macao, Nuno Furtado says that “Forum Macao has a very strong vocation for promotion, but to be more successful in what we do, I think it is necessary to take some measures that have to do with the functioning of the institution itself”.

“Promotion is important, but in order for the promotion to turn into something concrete, it is necessary that within Forum Macao, there is greater support for the delegates. For example, when we go to a province in China, we sign several contacts, but after returning, there is difficulty on the part of delegates to continue contacts with these companies due to lack of support from the institution,” the delegate said in the interview with the newspaper.

Nuno Furtado revealed that there are several projects in the pipeline with China and admits that he has not managed to attract large companies, either from Macao or China, to invest in Cabo Verde.

“We have, however, managed to bring a technology company to Cabo Verde that we have been working with since 2018, and the other project is with the Traditional Chinese Medicine Park, which is also at a very advanced stage with the Ministry of Health, especially in the area of legislation,” he said.

Nuno Furtado also shared that “Cooperation in the field of traditional Chinese medicine started in 2017. The following year in Portugal, we signed a memorandum of understanding with a view to implementing the cooperation project between the two parties. In 2019 there were three visits by officials of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Park to Cabo Verde, first for institutional contacts, then to prepare for the visit of the President of the Park in April 2019. Later, there was a group of doctors who gave training to technicians from Portuguese-speaking countries, namely Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Mozambique and Cabo Verde. For 2020, an international forum was expected to be held in Cabo Verde, but with the pandemic, everything was suspended.”

Referring to Cabo Verde’s relations with China and the projects for diversifying the economy of the archipelago, Nuno Furtado shared that “the government has requested support from the government of China, which has extensive experience in the creation of special economic zones. In the first phase, this was related to the feasibility studies for a special maritime economic zone project in Cabo Verde.”

“Now that the studies have been completed, the government has decided to proceed with the special maritime zone between Santo Antão, São Vicente and São Miguel and is appealing to international partners from all countries, including China, who are interested in the project,” he said.

(The Macau Post Daily/Macao News)