Praia, 17 July (Inforpress) – The leader of the PAICV parliamentary group, the ruling party, argued today that the Government Programme constitutes “a strategic instrument” to guide government action over the next five years, rather than an implementation plan.

Carla Lima spoke during the special session of the National Assembly held to present and consider the Government’s Programme and to vote on the motion of confidence.

According to him, the program establishes the main guidelines for a "closer, more transparent and efficient" State, providing for the reduction of governance costs, the rationalization of public agencies and institutes, the digital modernization of public administration and the strengthening of transparency.

“It is not a daily activity plan, it should not contain a financial breakdown of each measure, nor a detailed implementation schedule for each policy,” she warned, responding to statements from the Movement for Democracy (MpD, opposition), which described the document as a strange program that tries to do everything at once, prioritizes everything, and does not set goals.

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Mindelo, 16 July (Inforpress) – The leader of the Ribeira de Vinha Community Association in São Vicente has stated that the revival of the agricultural and livestock market remains hampered by low agricultural output and a lack of investment, following the damage caused by Storm Erin.

Speaking to Inforpress, Juvenal Gomes explained that the revival of the fair – which had been suspended since 2017 and was considered one of the current board’s priorities – finally came to fruition in 2024 and took place again in July 2025, but plans for a new edition were halted by the destruction of the vegetable gardens.

“When I joined the association, the fair had already been inactive for six years. We managed to reactivate it in 2024 and held another edition in July 2025. We had already planned another one for October, on the occasion of the association's anniversary, in partnership with farmers from Ribeira da Cruz, but the storm completely destroyed the vegetable gardens and we had to cancel,” he explained.

According to the organiser, the fair provided farmers and livestock breeders with an opportunity to sell fresh vegetables, livestock, ready meals, handicrafts and other local produce directly to the public.

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Praia, 16 July (Inforpress) – Cabo Verde is hosting the first edition of the Women in Tech Lusofonia Summit 2026, an initiative aimed at inspiring girls and women and creating female role models in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Speaking to the press today on the sidelines of the event, Mayra Silva, the representative of Women in Tech in Cape Verde, explained that this is the organisation’s first summit devoted entirely to the Portuguese-speaking world.

The event brings together, at TechPark in the Cape Verdean capital, the chapters from Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Mozambique and Angola, as well as experts, institutional leaders, academics, entrepreneurs and young talents.

The initiative serves as a platform to discuss current topics considered strategic for the digital future, such as artificial intelligence (AI), disinformation, cybersecurity, innovation, and actions aimed at promoting greater inclusion, especially by encouraging the participation of girls and women in technological fields.

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Espargos, 17 July (Inforpress) – Journalist and socio-cultural researcher Ildo Fortes called today for a debate to be opened on the possible creation of the municipality of Santa Maria, as the rapid growth of the country’s main tourist area calls for renewed consideration by the government.

The position was defended during the announcement of the third stage of the tribute to the former workers of Sal airport and their families, who were transferred to Portuguese airfields in the 1970s.

According to the researcher, Santa Maria, currently regarded as the capital of Cape Verdean tourism, faces growing challenges relating to urban planning, land-use planning, the environment, security, water supply, energy, health, education and fisheries, stemming from the exponential growth in population and the intense growth of the tourism sector.

In this context, he reiterated the proposal, initially presented by businessman Patone Lobo in 2008, to promote a debate involving civil society, the Government, the local authority and researchers on the creation of the Municipality of Santa Maria.

 “The same source also warned of the risk of ‘cultural alienation’ if appropriate measures are not taken to safeguard and promote cultural identity.”

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