Doing Business In (Insert Country Name Here)

Taxis are available on an extremely limited basis in Luanda. While generally consideredto be safe, they are not always punctual. Business travelers to Angola are stronglyrecommended to hire a car with driver for the duration of their stay.Road Transportation--------------------------Of 72,000 kilometers of road, less than 20,000 is paved. Even some of the paved roadsare unusable due to downed bridges and landmines, though most of the major roadslinking provincial capitals have been cleared of landmines. The general condition of allroads and related infrastructure is poor, even within the city limits of Luanda. Gasoline isavailable in most urban areas. Rental cars are available for hire in Luanda and somemajor provincial cities. Driving outside of metropolitan areas can be dangerous due topoor road conditions, especially at night. All travelers are encouraged to register with theU.S. Embassy.Like American car rental agencies, Angolan rental agencies have price schedules thatvary depending upon length of rental and class of car. Most prices include insurance.An international driver’s license is not required but recommended. Hiring a local driver ishighly recommended, as driving through unmarked streets, confusing routes, anddangerous traffic can be a daunting task for a visiting traveler.Air transportation----------------------Most air traffic to Angola arrives via the 4 de Fevereiro International Airport in Luanda.Air France, British Airways, TAP (Portugal), South African Airways, TAAG (The Angolannational airline), Namibia Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and a few regional carriers serveLuanda. Houston Express is a private charter service operated by U.S. based WorldAirways for the national oil company’s subsidiary, Sonair, and is available only tomembers of the U.S. Africa Energy Association. TAAG, Air Gemini and other smallercharter or air taxi companies provide domestic flights. Airport departure taxes aregenerally included in the price of the ticket.Airline reservations can be difficult to obtain because of the limited number of flights intoand out of Angola and visitors are recommended to begin travel arrangements well inadvance of the planned travel dates. Once in Angola, return flights should bereconfirmed 72 hours prior to departure.Railway Transportation------------------------------Little of the once extensive railway currently functions due to war damage anddestruction. The rail link to the port of Luanda is not currently operational; rehabilitationof the Luanda-Malange line is scheduled for completion by mid 2007. There are plans toextend the line to Cabinda province, connecting to the Democratic Republic of Congonetwork. The Benguela railroad, whose 1,340 kilometers run from Lobito to the Zambianborder, currently runs only 154 kilometers between the cities Lobito, Benguela andCubal. Only the service between Namibe and Matala (320 kilometers) comes close topre-war levels. Rehabilitating the lines is a priority for the government of Angola.2/13/2007