The price of a catamaran trip between Cabinda and Luanda (vice versa) will rise from the current 30,000 kwanzas to 40,000 kwanzas, while the connection between Cabinda and Soyo (vice versa) will also increase from 20,000 kwanzas to 22,000 kwanzas.
Secil Marítima, a company specializing in the maritime transport of passengers and cargo, has publicly announced that it will be changing the fares for passenger transport services from 1 November this year.
This increase in fares for sea journeys on the aforementioned routes by SECIL will drastically complicate the problem of mobility for the population of Cabindan, according to the reactions of the population gathered by the newspaper OPAÍS on the impact that the measure will have.
University professor Raul Tati believes that the measure will have a negative impact on the lives of the local population, since the new fares clash head-on with the financial capacity of the people who have opted for this route.
He also said that the decision makes a mockery of the problem of geographical discontinuity “so much talked about in official speeches.” Given their island status, the local population has only air and sea transportation for their mobility.
“That’s enough reason for fares to be accessible to the last poor person in the province,” argued Raul Tati. In his opinion, when prohibitive prices are chosen, a large part of the population is being excluded from these services.
“This is bad,” he lamented. In fact, Raul Tati argues that the policy of subsidizing air tickets to Cabinda, assumed and implemented by the Head of the Executive Branch in 2018, should be the model for sea tickets for the same reason.
“It doesn’t make sense, on the one hand, to reduce the cost of air tickets and, on the other, to increase the cost of sea tickets,” said Raul Tati, maintaining that SECIL’s decision probably has something to do with the sustainability of its operations and the company’s financial health. Even so, he stresses: “Cabinda is a particular case. President João Lourenço said so. Decisions must take this into account.
It’s not the citizens of Cabinda who have to shoulder the burden of geographical discontinuity. It’s a matter for the state.” That’s why he says that subsidizing air tickets is in line with the state’s responsibilities and SECIL will have to follow suit.
On another front, our interviewee sees the solution to the problem as transforming Cabinda into an autonomous region to mitigate the excessive economic, political and administrative dependence on the capital.
“As long as we maintain this model where everything depends on Luanda, the need for continuous mobility is imperative. The current flow of passengers has a lot to do with this dependence,” said Raul Tati. He concluded: “It is very likely that SECIL has not considered all these aspects. In this sense, it is up to the government to heed the cry for help from the people of Cabinda.”
Appeal to the Executive
For jurist João Domingos Marques, the change in prices is a measure that leaves a lot to be desired for a population that already suffers a lot from mobility issues. According to him, the state’s aim is not to make a profit, but to create public companies to guarantee services to the population.
“But looking at Secil Marítima, the company seems to be more concerned with increasing ticket prices, which is a paradox in that it inverts the role of the state.”
For this reason, he argues that the Executive needs to reflect carefully on the issue, taking into account the particularities of the province, since Cabinda has no land connection with the rest of the country.
“When you set any price, you have to look at this issue. In fact, in air transport there is some sensitivity, because the price charged in Cabinda differs from other provinces.”
In his opinion, the increase in the price of sea transport seems to be a paradoxical situation when one thinks of lowering the price of the flight. “There needs to be a balance,” he said, advising the company to review the measure taken, given the specific nature of the province.
“The state needs to show some sensitivity towards these people and review this issue of maritime transport prices,” he said.
Other citizens heard by this newspaper, such as José Tembo, Ernesto Brás and António Puati, also agree, saying that the price increase is further complicating life for the people of Cabinda, who are already in an enclave situation.
Reasons for the price increase
The company justifies the price change with the increase in operating costs, reinforcing its commitment to guaranteeing the safety and comfort of passengers during crossings.
Silvano Araújo, a member of Secil Marítima’s management committee, had already said in an interview with this newspaper that the passenger transport service on the Cabinda route is the least profitable for the company because it is a social activity due to the issue of the discontinuity of Cabinda province with the rest of the country.
“Secil has done and will continue to do so, despite the limitations that exist,” he said. According to said, the price of the ticket is not subsidized and it was defined based on what is the capacity of the population and also to cover the possible costs of operations related to fuel, wages, crew, current expenses and other operational actions, since Secil operates in port terminals that require payment of fees.
Source: O País
