Não esquecer referir aqui os "louvores" às varias pessoas que, ao longo da vida contribuiram para o meu conhecimento e que foram e algumas ainda são,  "de facto génios" 

 

Sublinhado a amarelo é para ser completado ou traduzido para português… Não sei porque escrevi parte disto em inglês

Informação pessoal

Apelido - Dos Santos ** Nomes próprios - Rui Manuel ** Sexo - Masculino

Morada - Rua Marcelino Dias, 4 – R/C – P.O. Box 1300 - Luanda – Angola

Documentos - Carta de condução desde os 18 anos / BI Angolano e Português ** Passaporte - Angolano e Português.

E-mail - ipopisp@gmail.com / passaro@yahoo.com / rsantos@sistec.co.ao

Sites - www.lello.co.ao / www.newbrain.net / www.ipopisp.com / www.itelnet.co.ao 

Nacionalidade - Bi Nacional Angolana e Portuguesa ** Data de nascimento - 5 de Agosto de 1955

Competências - Perito contabilista, experiência em marketing e vendas, conhecedor de vários sectores como auditoria e serviços, comunicações, informática, aviação, medicamentos, artes gráficas e ginásios, capacidades que coloco naquilo em que me classifico, "gestôr e empresário".

Experiência profissional

1- Agosto de 1955 a 1972

 

Fazer tudo o que os pais pediam …  Desde que me lembro, Fazenda Pange, Fazenda Calemba, Fazenda Quipungo, Quilenda e Gabela/Aricanga.

Não posso ignorar no meu CV todo este processo de aprendizagem. Desde “lavar os pratos e varrer e lavar o chão” até trabalhar os animais da quinta e trabalhando na horta e no arimbo de café.

Também foi muito útil todo o processo que aprendi com o meu pai de “pedreiro”, “carpinteiro”, “electricista” e até serralheiro. O meu pai fazia quase tudo neste aspecto.

Também me ensinou a dar uns toques num “banjo”, experiência que infelizmente não continuei… O meu pai tocava banjo bastante bem.

Enfim… Este processo permite-me hoje saber como se trata de uma horta, de um pomar, fazer uma poda ou mesmo tratar de uma fazenda de café, se alguma vez tiver necessidade disso.

Datas 1970 to 1971

Foto Branco, Lda – Gabela - Angola - Fotografia

Fotografo de camera escura. Tinha a meu cargo o ampliador e o sistema de revelação e preparação final de todas as fotos tipo leica e postal. Tive a meu cargo um grande processo de umas 80000 fotos tipo passe correspondente a cerca de 20.000 pessoas quando o Governo português decidiu que todos os cidadãos em Angola tinham que ter um documento com foto. Todo o tempo trabalhei sem salário apenas para ocupar os meus tempos livres e quando terminei o trabalho o meu patrão ofereceu-me um microscópio de marca TASCO.

Datas Out 1971 to Out1972

Portugal & Sousa, Lda - Gabela - Angola - retalho - produtos de mercearia, retrosaria, tecidos e diversos. Agente da EVA - Empresa de Viação de Angola.

Empregado de escritório e balcão da empresa tendo a meu cargo todo processo de facturação das notas de remessa, fecho de contas semanal da EVA, preparação de toda a documentação para entrega ao contabilista, preparação de todas notas de lançamento dos processos de letras a pagar e receber inclusivé as "letras de favor" com os respectivos cálculos de juros. Apoio ao balcão no atendimento de mercearias quando necessário.

Datas Out 1972 to Mar 1973

Grollier International, Inc – Luanda / New York – Angola / USA - Livros

Vendedor de porta em porta de enciclopédias e colecções de livros, tendo feito já na última semana de trabalho na empresa a maior venda individual da Grollier em Angola ( todos os livros e colecções do catalogo vendidos num só contrato a uma só pessoa ). Em 1975 fui chamado e fiquei a coordenar toda a actividade em modo "free-lancer" devido à saída do país dos gerentes que me pediram para ficar a gerir a empresa em part time. Em 1977, entreguei a empresa a uma comissão de trabalhadores por ser insustentável para mim por falta de tempo; Neste espaço de tempo a empresa pagou todos os "overdrafts" que tinha nos bancos. As grandes histórias…

Vim para Luanda e tinha que sobreviver … Procurei um emprego e encontrei um anuncio no então Jornal "Provincia de Angola" que dizia mais ou menos isto …”queres ganhar bem com horário livre?? Vem ter connosco…” Fui … Hoje sei que as empresas de vendas de porta em porta apostam muito na rotatividade do pessoal sobretudo jovens ...  Entram, são contratados, vendem ao pai, mãe e padrinho e não vendem mais nada… Essas pessoas não podem sobreviver disso mas a empresa, tem “n” vendedores como este e consegue uma facturação significativa… Eu fui uma das excepções… Apesar disso nos primeiro 30 dias não vendi nada… Finalmente o enguiço quebrou e uma brasileira de uma empresa chamada “Inventa” no prédio da Mutamba, comprou-me a primeira colecção, um NTJ + Dic 28. A partir daí não parei mais e passei a ser capaz de “viver disto”.

Entratanto o gerente da Grollier, meu chefe, criou uma empresa para vender um produto novo… “Reproduções de quadros celebres em offset sobre tela”. Convivou os 5 vendedores mais regulares para se juntaram ao projecto… Eu fui um deles. Pedi apenas que me deixasse fazer uma “saída para fora de Luanda aproveitando as férias grandes da escola”. E assim aconteceu… Meti-me á boleia e queria fazer Luanda, Dondo, Quibala, Gabela, Sumbe… Como a pessoa que me deu a primeira boleia disse que só o faria se eu o acompanhasse até Quibala, acabei por saltar o Dondo que só fiz na viagem de regresso.

Essa viagem era de sucesso questionável porque um colega, chamado Preto era o melhor vendedor da Grollier e ele é que fazia esta zona. Ele vendia tanto que até tinha um mercedes, carro que, à época era considerado só para ricos… Apesar disso lá fui … A sorte mudou no Sumbe… Estava no bar a tomar café e meti conversa com uma pessoa que estava ao meu lado… Não sei o que me deu… Parece que tinha tomado uma droga… De repente só sei que se juntaram as mesas do bar e lá estava eu com os catálogos todos abertos, qual comício, a “vender” e bastantes clientes compraram na hora e assinaram bastantes contratos.

Não me lembro quantos foram mas sei que foram muitos porque nessa viagem  recebi uns 50 contos de comissão e um apartamento nesse tempo custava algo na fasquia de 80 contos… Por isso, vendi muito…

Um dos clientes disse-me mesmo… Têm passado por aqui muitos vendedores e eu nunca comprei nada… Parabéns porque você convenceu-me !

Já no regresso com 3 contratos assinados na Gabela, minha terra (onde eu até contava assinar mais…), ao passar no Dondo onde estou 3 dias ( a cidade mais quente e abafada de Angola… De manhã torcem-se os lençóis e sai o suor ….), e apesar de não ter vendido nada foi-me dado um contacto para visitar uma pessoa em Luanda no antigo Bº Salazar… Assim fiz… No último dia de trabalho da Grollier, visito à noite no Bº Salazar essa pessoa que me foi indicada no Dondo… E fiz o maior contrato alguma vez feito pela Grollier em Angola… Um só cliente comprou TODAS as colecções…

Parto para regresso a pé para a Av D João II ( hoje alameda Manuel Van Dunen ), nº 366-3º andar para entregar o contrato ao meu chefe e fechar em beleza a minha passagem pela Grollier… É aí que eu entro pelo escritório dentro e vejo o meu chefe todo enrolado com a Itinha (mais tarde esposa dele)… Afinal eles andavam juntos e ninguém sabia de nada… Fiquei bem atrapalhado mas perante a minha alegria eles perdoaram  a indiscrição e até compreenderam pois era facto inédito na empresa. O meu chefe recebeu o contrato e eu ainda fui para o ICL porque ainda havia umas aulas antes das onze da noite.

Datas Mar 1973 to Fev 1974

Angotur, Lda – Luanda - Angola - Artigos de decoração

Vendedor de porta em porta de reprodução de quadros celebres tendo sido o melhor vendedor todos os meses de forma sistemática durante todo o tempo que trabalhei na empresa. Fui igualmente agraciado com o prémio de melhor vendedor do ano; Em 1975 fui chamado e fiquei a coordenar toda a actividade em modo "free-lancer" devido à saída do país dos proprietários que me pediram para ficar a gerir a empresa em part time. Em 1977, entreguei a empresa a uma comissão de trabalhadores porque os donos não havia maneira de regressarem e a situação era insustentável para mim por falta de tempo.

O premio de melhor vendedor do Ano foi celebrado num restaurante, hoje fechado, chamado Vilela e especialista em bacalhau. Nesse almoço ( ou jantar já nem me lembro bem ), os meus colegas disseram-me que eu tinha de “brindar” com um copo de vinho… Até aí eu não bebia álcool nenhum… Apenas água e leite… Cedi por ser uma comemoração e aconteceu algo que nem consegui entender… Quando me chamaram para ir buscar o prémio, uma máquina fotográfica de marca Leica ( à época maquinas fotográficas e relógios eram considerados produtos de luxo…), repetindo, quando me chamaram, não me consegui levantar… Um simples copo de vinho tinha “prendido” a minha capacidade de movimentos… Eu que era fundista de 10.000 mts, que zungava a cidade de Luanda inteira a pé tive que precisar de ajuda para me levantar por causa de um simples copo de vinho !!

Bom, valeu a experiência e por isso a conto… Estive uma série mais de anos sem beber álcool e só mesmo já muito depois da independência é que comecei a beber algum álcool…

Outra história que é relevante contar aqui são de facto duas…

• Eu vendia o quadro mas comecei a constatar que os clientes pediam “as molduras” e nós não fornecíamos… Então arranjei um fornecedor e com isso consegui ganhar mais umas comissõezitas porque a empresa das molduras passou a vender bastante.
• Outra coisa que é de contar é o método que eu tinha para “vender”… Criei um sistema de fichas de contacto que organizei de forma alfabética e datas de forma a “ir ao cliente” sempre que ele me pedia para voltar uns tempos depois… Este método permitiu que eu,  a partir de determinada altura já nem precisava de fazer “prospecção”… Eram os meus clientes que, confiados num bom trabalho me recomendavam aos amigos, família ou então eles próprios ligavam.

Como acima disse, depois de sair, os meus ex-patrões pediram-me para eu ficar a “tomar conta da empresa” porque se amedrontaram com o processo da independência e “bazaram” … Quando assumi controlo da empresa, esta já não tinha apenas os quadros para vender mas também uma cerâmicas de muito boa qualidade fabricadas em Luanda por uma fábrica chamada Faiarte… As cerâmicas eram mesmo muito boas … As versões “pintadas” eram pintadas á mão por um senhor , verdadeiro artista, especialista também em gêsso, que morava num casebre na Av Gen Carmona, hoje Av Cte Che Guevara… Esse homem ficou depois da independência e acabou por morrer creio que de fome ou doença, o que é lamentável pois eles era um verdadeiro artista… Uma das peças que ele pintou, um prato de parede, a minha irmã ainda hoje a possui e essa peça faz parte das fotos da minha secção “obras de arte.

Foi aqui que também encontrei os primeiros "espertos" na minha vida... Alguns trabalhadores da empresa. Na época já havia "falta de coisas" e os preços do mercado paralelo eram sempre superiores ao do mercado oficial. Eu nem me tinha apercebido disso. Ora, de repente, todos os dias começei a verificar que "os valores das cópias dos contratos da empresa" vinham preenchidos a esferográfica (quando devia ser com papel quimico) ... Pensei que fizessem isso para o valor do contrato se ver bem... MAS afinal não era nada disso ... Eles vendiam já a mercadoria a preço do paralelo, e "na cópia da empresa" eles colocavam o valor da empresa. Efectivamente a empresa não "perdia nada" porque recebia o seu valor de venda tabelado MAS o cliente pagava mais do que devia. Vim a saber a diferença era superior ao valor da "comissão" que a empresa dava e inclusivé, superior ao lucro da própria empresa. Tinha duas opções ... Ou despedia todo o mundo por justa causa ou então "esquecia" o assunto. Optei por entregar a empresa a uma "comissão de Trabalhadores" uma vez que a empresa nem era minha e "afinal" nem procuração de gestão tinha. 

Datas Feb 1974 to Maio 1974

Fazenda Cahombo, SARL - Luanda e Cacuso/Malange - Angola - Agricultura e Agro-Industria

Contabilista Assistente - Tinha a meu cargo toda a classificação e preparação dos documentos para lançamento no então sistema mecanográfico das empresas do Grupo Vinhas/Cuca a que a FC pertencia.

Saí da empresa por inconpatibilidade com o Contabilista senior adicionado ao facto da empresa ser muito longe e não poder chegar a horas ao ICL onde ainda estava a estudar. Serviu no entanto para aferir todo um sistema novo de contabilidade, contabilidade agrícola de mega produção.

Como podem ver no meu curriculum escolar eu tinha uma cadeira de contabilidade industrial e agrícola… Pois então o meu chefe queria “re-escrever” o modo de fazer este tipo de contabilidade… Acabamos por provocar uma situação em que os “nossos santos não se cruzaram” e eu saí… Como a minha irmã estava na altura à procura de emprego e também era da área, recomendei-lhe o emprego e ela acabou por ser contratada para essa empresa.

O Grupo Vinhas, suportado pela grande fábrica e máquina de dinheiro que era a Cuca estava a investir em vários projectos… A Capsul, a Avicuca, a empresa de sumos Passicuca,  a Fazenda Cahombo… Esta fazenda era a principal de um grupo de 3 fazendas na região de Cacuso, Malange, onde iam montar um grupo de 5 empresas industriais ligadas à agricultura… Oleo de Soja, couros, carnes, industria de laticínios e sémen de boi… Todas estas industrias teriam como matéria prima a envolvente, isto é, as 3 fazendas do Grupo Cahombo ( a segunda chamava-se Fazenda Amélia e a terceira não me lembro o nome ) e todas as restantes fazendas da região.

Quando se deu o processo da independência, todo o processo terá esmorecido e morrido uma vez que o Grupo Vinhas foi confiscado pelo Estado Angolano por razões estratégicas.

Toda a contabilidade das empresas do grupo (excepto a fábrica em si que já tinha um computador ), era feito em máquinas mecanográficas que ficavam situadas na Avicuca sendo o escritório da Cahombo nuns gabinetes alugados nas instalações da Avicuca.

Outra história que é de referir aqui é também a minha história “médica”… Eu tive o que aparenta ter sido turberculose aos 15 anos… Nunca se provou que tinha sido uma vez que as pesquizas ao bacilo de Cock sempre deram negativo, mas o certo é que levei um bombardeio de injecções na veia, braço e nádegas durantes uns meses… Quando vim para Luanda pensei que tudo era passado… Afinal não… Ficaram cicatrizes… Ao fazer os exames obrigatórios para trabalhar em qualquer empresa do grupo Vinhas, o Dr Primo António descobriu as “cicatrizes” numa coisa que chamou de “micro radiografia”… Não sei que raio de coisa era aquilo mas o facto é que fui admitido condicionalmente…   Este facto somado aos outros fez com que eu saísse mais depressa e sem grandes remorsos da FC, coisa que nunca aconteceu em nenhum dos meus outros trabalhos… De todos eles eu me afastei com pesar !

Datas Maio 1974 to Maio 1975

Price Waterhouse Pty Ltd - Luanda - Auditoria e Serviços

Admitido como auditor trainnee, passando a junior ao fim de 3 meses. Dividia com um colega os clientes de "book keeping" sendo alguns multinacionais e tendo a meu cargo cerca de 50% (cerca de 10 empresas). Fiz parte de equipas de auditoria a cerca de 15 empresas dos mais variados sectores incluindo a Cabinda Gulf (petróleo), a Fábrica de cervejas Ngola (industria de cervejas) e a Coagrima (cooperativa de Algodão), Tony Cooper e Fercorte ( texteis ) entre outras.

Aqui na PW é que tenho mesmo muitas histórias … Muitas mesmo …  E é aqui também onde eu posso dizer que “aprendi muito também”…

Começo por dizer como se trabalhava…

No Book Keeping… Apesar da PW ser uma empresa tipica de auditoria, tinha muitos clientes em BK.. Eu fiquei encarregue de cerca de 50% sendo os outros 50% do meu colega Rodrigues.

Ele ensinou-se a fazer os trabalhos na pracheta RUF e eu rapidamente desenvolvi um método em que, os meus clientes sem se aperceberem “faziam grande parte do meu trabalho” … Com base nesse método eu conseguia “fechar um mês num dia” se não houvesse êrros nas contas ( de notar que na época era tudo calculado com máquinas de calcular e/ou de cabeça ) … Os êrros de simpatia eram comuns e às vezes perdiam-se horas para descobrir um êrro de soma, multiplicação ou substração ( raramente se usavam contas de dividir )

Na auditorias… Há dois tipos …

• Procedimentos … Onde todos os procedimentos dos clientes são testados e verificados e sugestões de melhoria são feitos
• Livros… Onde a contabilidade é verificada e os livros certificados.

As histórias mais relevantes neste período foram as auditorias a Calulo ( Libolo ) , à Coagrima de Malange, à Ngola do Lubango, à Tony Cooper

 

Acabo por conhecer o Abbott na sequência de uma auditoria e acabo por ser convidado nessa altura pelo Sr Pessoa para me juntar ao Abbott.. É o Sr Pessoa que me leva pela segunda vez a um bar americano/boite… Tinha estado uma vez num aniversário do meu irmão, mas na altura, como estava muito chateado com ele acabei por não curtir a festa… Com o Sr Pessoa comecei a dar os primeiros “golos” de álcool, não me lembro qual mas provavelmente os primeiros terão sido “tia Maria”… Antes disso tinha bebido álcool apenas uma vez quando recebi o prémio da Angotur e “não tinha gostado nada do efeito”

Datas Maio 1975 to Setembro 1976

Abbot Laboratories, Pty Ltd – Luanda/Joanesburg / Paris – Angola Branch - Medicamentos

Contratado como Contabilista mas assumindo a função de Director adjunto para a area financeira, administrativa e comercial devido à falta de quadros em Angola na época. Todo o serviço de contabilidade, administração, controlo financeiro e comercial estava a meu cargo incluindo elaboração de propostas, concurso públicos, importação e algumas visitas como delegado de propaganda fazendo vendas. Apoiava igualmente o meu colega Gilberto Lourença, Delegado de Propaganda e um génio neste tipo de produto também responsável pelas entregas dos produtos às farmácias. O Abbot pagou todos os "overdrafts" neste período e saiu do fim da tabela dos fornecedores de medicamentos em Angola para os primeiros 4 lugares; Em 1979 a sede do Abbot decidiu mandar fechar a delegação de Angola tendo todo o resto de stocks sido entregue à empresa concorrente J Maques & Cia Lda.

Também existem histórias aqui que é relevante contar…

A reconciliação de todas as contas dos clientes cerca de 1000 e o recebimento de todos os valores em divida.

As entregas dos medicamentos e ficar em zona de fogo cruzado

A questão dos spoiled products

A questão do Isomil

A questão do Colac

O dia em que a Vila Alice ( onde o Abbott se situava ) ficou cercada pelos comandos portugueses

Datas Outubro 1976 to Maio 1980

Plessey AEP, SARL – Luanda/Lisboa/UK – Telecomunicacões

Contratado como Contabilista mas assumindo a função de Director adjunto para a area financeira, administrativa e comercial devido à falta de quadros em Angola na época. Todo o serviço de contabilidade, administração, controlo financeiro e comercial estava a meu cargo incluindo elaboração de propostas, concurso públicos, importação. Fui também integrado nas equipas de instalação do sistema telefónico publico Nacional (50% do sector) para controlo de parte da parte financeira e do sistema nacional de Micro-ondas com iguais funções. No mercado de PABX e telefones privados a Plessey era responsável por mais de 50% do mercado (PABX) e mais de 80%(telefones).

-A história da localização das caixas abandonadas no Porto e todo o processo de negociação e troca.

-A expulsão do inglês da sala do Eng Bessa Victor na negociação das micro Ondas

-A perda do concurso dos 30.000 telefones

-A perda do concurso dos PABX para o Min da Defesa

 

Datas Maio de 1980 a Julho de 1981

Free lancer -

Durante este período e como em Angola não era ainda permitido criar empresas novas fiz vários trabalhos

- Robert Hudson - Apoio directo ao controller da empresa no encerramento e fecho de contas da empresa que tinha as contas em aberto desde 1974… Um ex colega da Plessey foi contrato pelo grupo RH para fazer os fechos de conta em Angola e ele, sabendo que eu estava “desempregado” ofereceu-me esta tarefa por 6 meses… O trabalho foi concluído com satisfação de todas as partes incluindo o Fisco.

- Stag - Sociedade Técnica de Artes Gráficas, Lda - Admitido como Director com o objectivo de potenciar a empresa e relança-la no mercado de artes gráficas onde tinha posições de relevo, embora nunca tenha conseguido exercer as funções porque a entidade patronal nunca passou as necessárias procurações. Na altura tinha também um plano de fazer uma fábrica de esferográficas e outros materiais plásticos relacionados com o ensino; O acordo com a proprietária da empresa era que eu teria 30% da empresa e que potenciaria o negócio… Assumi o cargo e fiquei á espera das procurações… Um dia chego ao gabinete e encontro-o ocupado por dois senhores que eram do outro sócio da Stag, a empresa Paulino de Melo… Eles confrontam-me e propõe-me um acordo em que “nós os 3 iriamos usar as licenças da Stag para fazermos os “nossos negócios” e que cada um ficava com os negócios que fizesse” …

Eu na altura fiquei chocado e disse que eu só tinha uma palavra perante a dona da empresa que era a gestão mediante um salário e os tais 30%... Eles disseram que essa senhora era já demasiado rica ( e era, mas isso não vinha ao caso ) e que como tal devíamos dividir entre nós… Eu recusei e disse que iria dar um prazo para a procuração me chegar às mãos..Não chegando abandonava… E foi isso que aconteceu… A Stag e os tais directores, pelo que sei, já não fazem parte do mundo de negócios angolano.

- Polonio Basto, Lda - Director adjundo com responsabilidades directas nas vendas de todo o tipo de máquinas e produtos de artes gráficas como papel, quimicos e envelopes… O dono da empresa, com uns 75 anos, pretendia retirar-se e convidou-me como “sangue novo” com uma proposta parecida com a que tinha na Stag… 30% do capital e um salário… Eu entrei e num mês vendi mais de um 1,8 M de USD…  Como estava a vender muito e como o processo exigia uma grande perda de tempo em selagem de documentos, eu tomei a decisão de comprar “selos fiscais” para os ter em stock e assim acelerar o processo de venda… Terei comprado o equivalente a mil USD em selos e este senhor que tinha uma conta bancária enorme completamente parada e para quem eu já tinha vendido aqueles milhões todos deu-me uma reprimenda como se um funcionário secundário se tratasse.

Fiquei bem chateado porque acima de tudo os valores selados eram efectivamente “dinheiro” mas mesmo que não fosse o lucro que eu estava a gerar assim como a eliminação da perda de tempo, per si, justificava o gasto… Como ele andava a dar voltas esquisitas sobre a “ida ao notário para fazer a escritura” e como eu já estava escaldado do processo Stag, fiz-lhe a pergunta directa sobre a ida ao notário ( que por sinal era na porta ao lado da PB ) como ele titubeou, eu meti uma folha de papel na máquina de escrever e escrevi a carta de despedimento.

- Execução de contabilidade de várias empresas, ex clientes da PW, que entretanto fechou as portas - Artes&Letras, Lda (Gráfica), Proquimica,SA(medicamentos),Remo, SA (artes gráficas), Costa&Baptista, Lda (fábrica de algodão), Grollier (livros) e Angotur, Lda (vendas de quadros e ceramica).

- Representante comercial de várias empresas das quais fiz várias vendas directas ao Estado Angolano através das suas centrais de compras:

-  Importang ( esferográficas ),

- Maquimport (papel e outros produtos gráficos),

- Imprensa Nacional (máquinas offsett e vários produtos gráficos incluindo papel envelopes), - Centro Nacional de Alfabetização (material escolar de vário tipo incluindo cadernos, lápis, esferográficas e outros) e

-  Ematec ( fecho éclairs )

Datas 1/07/1981 to 1/07/1991

Protécnica – Sociedade Técnica de Angola, Lda – Luanda – Angola - IT e Viaturas

Sócio Gerente e co-proprietário fundador da empresa, que for a primeira empresa privada nova, criada após a independência de Angola. A empresa tinha 3 divisões essencialmente sendo uma de comunicações (Racal), outra de viaturas (Mitsubishi) e a terceira de equipamento de escritório e informática (Minolta, CASIO e PC+s próprios). Eu era o Director para a area de Finanças e coordenador directo de area de equipamentos de escritório e informática.

É de considerar que na Protécnica também houve muitas histórias começando pela forma como foi criada.

Básicamente enquanto estava no Polónio Basto notei que na sobreloja havia um escritório que não era “da empresa” ou melhor, que tinha acesso restrito… Ao questionar o Sr Lousa, proprietário da PB ele sempre foi evasivo sobre o assunto.

Uma vez, quando ia a chegar vejo uma menina, a Rosário, que conhecia de uma vez em que lhe havia oferecido uma boleia por ela estar com um aspecto bem abandonado… Deixei-a no local onde ela pediu e nunca mais a havia visto… Ela, estava no R/C encostada à escada num dos dias em que cheguei… Cumprimentei-a e ela retribuiu e nem sei se ela me reconheceu ou não … Apenas me disse que “trabalhava na sobre loja” mas que em breve iria sair porque o chefe dela não estava a chegar a acordo com o dono da PB.

Eu disse-lhe também que, no que me dizia respeito também não me parecia que fosse ficar muito tempo na PB.

Quando eu saí da PB uns dias depois, estava em casa quando tocou a campainha e era uma pessoa que eu não conhecia. Essa pessoa, mais tarde meu sócio, disse-me que era o chefe da Rosário,  e que teria conversado com ela sobre mim tendo chegado à conclusão que, provavelmente, os nossos interesses poderiam ser convergentes.

Explicou, o que vim a saber, era uma ideia semelhante à minha, fazer renascer uma empresa existente decadente, uma vez que, na época, não era possível constituir empresas novas.

Da nossa conversa chegamos à conclusão que afinal talvez fosse possível fazer uma empresa nova, e a partir desse encontro nasceu a Protécnica, Lda.

A luta pela criação da Protécnica começou em 1979 e terminou em 1 de Julho de 1981, altura em que, finalmente foi permitida a constituição da empresa.

A Protécnica acabou por ser a  primeira empresa privada NOVA criada após a independência tendo a partir do seu inicio um grande sucesso, para a época em que vivíamos.

Histórias relevantes

- A história da RAcal

- A história da Nashua/Minolta

- A história da “fome” na Alemanha

- A história dos “armários/caixões”

- A histórias dos LandRovers / British Films

- A história dos Casa Aviocar

- A história das instalações e das peripécias que tivemos

Datas 1/07/1991 até à data

Sistec - Sistemas, Tecnologias e Industria, SA – Luanda - Angola - 9 Divisões com amplo espectro

PCA/CEO – Com acção e directamente responsável por 3 das 9 divisões da empresa, nomeadamente Desporto, Hoteleria e todos os novos projectos. A Sistec tem um CA de 9 membros

 

 

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Formação académica e profissional

Educação

Explicação geral de como funcionava o sistema de educação Português

------------------------
Apesar de haverem várias vias, tais como a Academia Militar ou escolas religiosas, o sistema português de ensino tinha essencialmente duas rotas:

1. Rota técnica – Onde o estudante, podia fazer formação passo a passo sendo as matérias muito ligadas ás necessidades do mercado e podendo o aluno achar trabalho no mercado ao seu nível, caso o aluno não pudesse continuar a estudar,
2. Rota do Liceu – Onde o estudante, normalmente filho de pais com algum pode económico, estudava fazendo uma linha direta à Universidade… O problema desta rota, é que, se por qualquer razão o aluno tivesse que parar de estudar não encontraria trabalho a não ser como professor pois, esta via não dava especialidade a quase nada, se interrompido.

 

A rota técnica era normalmente escolhida por famílias de renda media/baixa e havia várias especialidades “contas”, “electricidade”, “agricultura” ou alfandega e dava origem a “empregados de escritório”, “operários e electricistas” e “despachantes”

A rota “liceu” dava origem a Engenheiros,  Médicos etc, coisa que só acontecia no fim do curso.

 

Como a minha família não podia garantir fundos para a minha formação tive que optar pela “rota técnica”, facto que, na realidade não só não me arrependo como inclusive, recomendo.

 

Datas 1960 to 1961

Escola Primária nº 66 - Gabela - Angola

Primeira Classe - Aprendi a escrever, contar e fazer algumas contas e corria um bocado nos intervalos… Havia iniciado a luta armada em Angola e eu tinha que fazer 7 kms do Pange (fazenda onde o meu pai trabalhava ) á Gabela. Ao dim de uns 3 meses o meu pai arranjou um local onde fiquei internado embora nessa altura tenha enfrentado uma outra espécie de “terrorismo”… O bullying do filho do casal que me hospedou.. Um verdadeiro terrôr e pessoa má.

História do corredor e quando me borrei todo

História do carrito que ele deu e tirou ao miúdo.

Historia da FBP do soldado português

História da FBP que o pai tinha e furou as panelas da mãe

Datas 1961 to 1963

Escola Primária da Quilenda - Quilenda - Angola

Segunda e Terceira Classe - Aprendi uma série de outras coisas já em direcção a matérias especificas incluindo desenho e outras ciências. Plantei aqui a minha arvore no pátio da Escola.

Iniciei aqui a Quarta Classe ( apenas cerca de um mês )

- História da arvore da que a minha colega inundou com água…

- Vozes dos animais …

- Lápis de côr…

- O Sr Ferreira que partiu a loiça toda…

- O Sr da Escola de condução …

Datas 1964 to 1965

Escola Primária nº 66 da Gabela - Gabela - Angola

Quarta Classe e Exame de admissão ao Ciclo Preparatório

Datas 1966 to 1968

Escola Secundária D. Alexandrino da Cunha - Gabela - Angola

Ciclo Preparatório tendo fnalizado com dispensa ao exame de admissão ao CGC com a média de 13 valores

A história da Mocidade Portuguesa – Curso chefe de quina

Datas 1969 to 1971

Escola Comercial e Industrial D António Barroso - Gabela - Angola

Secções Preparatórias para o ICL com as seguintes notas (dispensa de exames de admissão ao ICL):

- Media 14 valores

- Português - 14

- Francês - 13

- Inglês - 14

- História - 13

- Mercadorias - 13

- Contabilidade - 13

- Complemento de Matemática - 15

- Complemento de Fisica e quimica - 14

A história de irmos buscar os toros para fazer as bancadas que  caíram .

História do Duarte e dos exames do Director

História da Manuela a copiar

Datas 1972 to 1975

Instituto Comercial de Luanda - Luanda - Angola

Perito Contabilista no Instituto Comercial de Luanda - Angola com as seguintes notas (dispensa a exames finais):

- Média 13 valores

- Matemática - 10

- Quimica Geral e Métodos de Análise - 14

- Geografia Geral e Económica - 14

- História Geral e Económica - 12

- Economia Politica - 15

- Elementos de Direito Civil e Administrativo - 18

- Organização Politica e Administrativa da Nação e Economia Corporativa - 17

- Curso Prático de Francês - 11

- Curso Prático de Inglês - 14

- Calculo Comercial e Financeiro - 10

- Matérias Primas e Mercadorias - 14

- Geografia Económica de Portugal - 15

- História Geral e Económica - 13

- Elementos de Direito Comercial e Maritimo - 10

- Contabilidade Geral - 10

- Curso Pratico de Francês - 11

- Curso Prático de Inglês - 13

- Mecanografia - 10

- Calculo Comercial e Financeiro - 12

- Direito Fiscal e Aduaneiro - 14

- Organização de Contabilidade Industrial e Agricola - 16

- Operações Bancárias e sua Contabilidade - 12

- Instituições de Previdência e sua contabilidade - 12

- Contabilidade Pública e administração ultramarina - 15

- Mecanografia - 12

- Programação - 14

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Aptidões e competências pessoais

Língua materna - Português ** Linguas faladas e escritas - Inglês (bem) e Francês (rasoável) ** Entende - Espanhol e Italiano.

Família e questões sociais - Separado, numa relação assumida, pai de dois filhos um rapaz nascido em 1984 e uma rapariga em 1981 sendo o rapaz um responsável de uma area dentro da empresa onde trabalho, a Sistec e a menina médica a exercer em Portugal.

Frequento o ginásio duas a três vezes por semana sendo praticante de atletismo em 1500/3000 mts e ocasionalmente a São Silvestre.

Como hobbies colecciono moedas, notas, sêlos, coisas antigas, algumas peças de arte.

Literatura - Gosto do Pepetela, Sidney Sheldon e Irving Wallace. Gostei bastante das obras de George Orwell.

Música - Gosto de música Angolana e Cubana embora tenha na minha musicoteca música variada.

Filmes - Os meus filmes preferidos são o "Jesus Christ SuperStar" e "Duelo no Pacifico" que não me canso de ver assim como a "Verdade Inconveniente" de Al Gore.

Séries - CSI, Investigação Criminal

Interesses - Tenho interesse por tudo o que é novo e como tal leio bastante, estudo bastante e considero que tenho espirito de missão em tudo o que faço sendo por isso conhecedor de vários mercados desde "mercearias a comunicações integradas"

Diversos - Fiz parte do grupo de interesses que introduziu os PC´s em Angola, no tempo PC´s com base no processador Zilog Z80 e Sistema Operativo CP/M. Tenho acompanhado de perto todo o processo de evolução tecnológica das IT´s e fui pioneiro na Internet em Angola. Trabalhei de perto com os programadores que fizeram aquilo que hoje se chama de ERP/CRM ( na altura eram chamados de simples de programas de gestão ).

Outras aptidões e competências - Como os meus pais tinham uma pequena fazenda de café ( arimbo ) sei tratar de tudo o que é relacionado com agricultura e cafeicultura.

Regra pessoal - O meu pai dizia que "O saber não ocupa lugar". Sigo esse principio em tudo o que faço e adopto 3 regras:

- Pode-se fazer e vender tudo o que se quizer desde que se estude o produto - 1ª regra - Aprendizagem

- Ser organizado e sistematizado e se assim fôr, tudo se faz - 2ª regra - Método

- Em tudo o que se faz podemos ter sucesso desde que se "trabalhe" - 3ª regra - Espirito de Missão/Empenho

 

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Brinquedos  e brincadeiras de criança

 

Devido ao facto dos meus pais serem pobres nem eu nem os meus irmãos tinhamos “brinquedos” e como tal usavamos a nossa imaginação para termos brinquedos e brincadeiras.

 

Eis os nossos brinquedos dessa época:

 

Fisga –

Arco –

Tijolos de barro –

Carrinhas feitos com latas de sardinha –

Rodelas dos restos da fábrica de crivos de café para usar como dinheiro –

Restos de pano da máquina da mãe para fazer sacos de café, milho etc

Folhas de Sisal para fazer casas, acampamentos etc

 

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Diversas histórias em modo aleatório em inglês para traduzir para português

 

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My experience in Coffee Plantations

My father used to be one employee in one big Coffee company. I used to
live in the coffee farms or coffee farm areas up to 17 years old.
When I was 9/10, my father got fired from his job and we went to Gabela,
the closest town, where my father purchased on small farm 8 to 10 kms away from the main town and which was able to produce per year around 5 tons of coffee.
My father could not live on the farm and used to work in the town. My
mother used to stay in the farm and produce things farms produce like live animals, vegetables and fruits… Actually on the time,  the family only bought from the market in the town few items such as clothes, shoes, salt and sugar and a minor number of other smalltuffs.

I used to go from home to school walking, leave to school at around 6 AM, be in school up to 13.00 and go home.
In the afternoons and after my school jobs done, my work was to help in the farm

Check and feed the animals, pick up foodstuffs, do the control of some of the coffee plantation routines such as “capinas”, “terraces”, “adubagem” and finally “colheitas”

In this last part my father make no difference from me ( I started less than 11 years old ) and all the workers.  For people that do not know how to pick coffee from the trees, the system is:

One area is selected by the boss ( my father in this case )

We were given a certain time to pick all the ready coffee in that area ( the red beans )

The pick was made with one “coalo” around the neck able to carry around 20 to 25kgs

The coffee should be picked up properly.. ( only the red ones ) and without destroying the green beans and the tree leaves

In the end of the day each worker would need to produce 2 bags of coffee with around 200 Kgs Transport them to a specify place, measure them in a special measure box

 

At the time, as I said, my father made no difference between me, his son, and the workers who were adults… 200 kgs each

In the end of the day my hands, my arms and my knees used to be completely black and dirty …No water or soap was enough to clean them…

After the crop season my hands used to stay dirty for more than 2 months
I used to be angry at my father on the time ( after all I was his son… )  Today I thank him for being that hard on me I learned a lot, I developed my body, I learned to be hard and how to take care of a farm.

Out of the coffee season, another job I got was EVERY day to "transport" water from a distance of 150  meters down hill in the "water area" into the house tank..
Initially the transport was made in two tin containers ( used olive oil containers...) of 5 liters each ( one per hand ...) ... When I become bigger and older, the transport was done in two 10 liters tin containers (used margarine containers) ...
I hated this compulsory exercise every single day but again, today I thank very much to it my physical condition and physical resistence.
-------------------------------
250.000 photos (62.500 persons)

I was 14 years old. That year I decided that would need to do a
different work in the circa of 4 month holidays that I would have from the School.
I decided to find a work to do and the only one I found was to be clerk in a photo shop in the town.  On the second day I was working in the dark chamber of the photo shop
doing document size photos. On that days the there were no machines to do the the dark chamber jobs…And products were not ready to use … I learn a lot on this…

 

 I learned how to do the “revelador”, the “fixador” and the “limpador”
I learned how to operate the “photo amplifier” .. How to choose the right light, right time on the right paper on a specific negative.
I did all the jobs “preparar”, “reveler”, “fixar”, “limpar”, “secar”, “cortar” and “empacotar”; One of the jobs which took me much of my time was to produce almost
250.000 document photos.

On the time, the Portuguese Government ( ruling Angola as a colony then) decided that every single citizen should have one Photo ID document. At the time most of the Angolans, mainly the black Angolans, did not have one. My boss spotted one business opportunity. He picked up his camera, negative rolls and a car packed with foodstuffs and
decided to “go around” as much municipalities he could do “making photo ID photos”.

System was as follows:
A number
A client with the number in the chest
One receipt with a down payment for a certain number of photos
GO !!
My service was to “produce the photos” and pack them in envelopes with the number written on it.
Many of the numbers were not very “visible” and many of the photos were taken in difficult climate conditions BUT who cares… The business was there and my boss
made a lot of money.
Many years later I realized that the documents that came out of these photos were
the first step to “integrate”  in the Portuguese society as Portuguese ”citizens” ALL the Angolan born people and that this program was carried out in ALL Portuguese Empire.

-------------------------------
Bills of Exchange game

My last year of school in Gabela was what was called in the Portuguese school system a “preparation year”. I only got 3 or 4 “disciplines” per day which means that I only have some hours at the school and most of the day free… I decided to take a job.
I got a job as one “office clerk” in a groceries store, called “Portugal & Sousa, Lda”.

At the time the owner of the Store accepted me with no salary just to “occupy my time” under request of my father.
During the time I was in this job I learned a lot of things  ..A lot of information of the grocery products and its suppliers … The documents that are normally used in day to day business. Documents that I learned about in the School in the discipline “Escritórios comerciais” were here for real…. Invoices, delievery notes, receipts, debit notes,credit notes, input of cash, output of cash, Day cash close, TWB´s …..Bills of exchange !!

I learned all the game of bank loans, interest rates etc etc

At the time I did not realized but in the bills of exchange, I got a tremendous experience in one thing that was a kind of “illegal” but done by everybody in Angola at the time… “Letras de favor”…

 

What was it ??
Basically, this type of operation is only possible between two “very good friends” as it work on “real trust”.--A person needs money… He cannot get it from the bank as a loan because the standard loan request have a lot of procedures and is done in a case by case basis… Or may be his credit limit is over … So he contacts with a friend with whom he does one of the following operations:
a)-
The person/company have a good name in the bank...He asks the friend to “accept” a B/E as “aceitante”.. It is necessary a lot of trust as the friend in this case is saying that he is in “debt” to the “sacador” for something that is not “real”.. Then he goes to a bank, discounts the B/E.  Pays the interest to the bank, get the difference.. In the “closing day”  technically the “aceitante should pay the bill” BUT instead in this case, the “sacador” goes there and pays it….
b)-
The person/company do not have a good name in the bank or eventually is credit limit is already exceeded.. In this case, the operation is done other way. By other words.. The friend “saca” one B/E to him, goes to the bank and gets the money, then gives the money to the “aceitante”…On the closing day he goes there and pays the Bill.
The purpose of this game is to get fast easy money for a quick business which should be done within the validity of the B/E… The risk is that, if in the right time the business the one wants to do, did not mature then another B/E is made to “pay the old one” and either he pays part, or only the interests, or even makes a bigger one to pay capital plus interests…
There is a number of variations on this game… The variation can envolve a third part which have nothing to do with the game itself but have a good bank position and is able to provide one “aval”…Or even do one operation called “reforma”
All these plays I learned in my job… I learned as well all the part related to the “avisos de lançamentos” in the accounting books which have a lot of “movements”.

The banks knew about this system which was a kind of “illegal”, but in the end of the day everybody wins… And no body really got hurt…Just one easy way to get “burocracy less” loan

 
In the book keeping accounts, this B/E did not appear as they were “technically settled” and only in one section of the balance sheet called  “responsabilidades por letras descontadas/sacadas”  the figures should come up… As this accounts were equal in debit and credit and were “conta de ordem” with no assets/liability value, many of the companies not even put this figures in the books as per law they were optional.

Later in my life I realized that these B/E game was one of the financial reasons of the ultra fast Angolan financial evolution after 1964. In fact Angola made a “jump” from 1964 to 1974 with growth rates above 12% a year. Buildings, shops, coffee farms, transport companies etc etc were built by money got through this system.

I think that if there was not independence, this system would “blow up” as the “reformas” were more and more needed by the users of the system, which means that the normal businesses were not producing enough profit to cover all the operations.

 
In 1974, after the independence, due to the war and the fact that most companies either closed or the owners ran away, all this bills returned to the “sacador” unpaid”. Most “sacadores” did not were in the country anymore. Only the ones that did not close down or ran away got the bills either the real ones or not. The Government /Central Bank at the time was obliged to intervene and rescue companies in serious trouble… They made a system to “permit” companies to”repay the B/E” and at same time get a way to “put the values in the P&L account”... This operation was done with a name “devedores suspensivos”.
Many of the claimers outside of Angola that are NOW claiming “they lost property in Angola” to the Portuguese Government, may be did not “lost really all they say they did” as none of them speak on this B/E and at the time EVERYONE was envolved to a bigger or lesser level.  

To be mentioned that the owner of P&S, Lda liked my job so much that he paid me a total of Esc 14.000 for 7 months of my part time work… My father, a full professional, at the time used to earn Esc 3.000.00 per month… I was amazed and so was my father.. He gave me 4.000 to take to Luanda on my departure and kept 10.000 for the family.
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My first Alcool, my second, my  third and my last...

When I lived in Gabela I only drunk water and milk...
When I came to Luanda I did the same... UNTILL the day there was a lunch of Angotur to "give the award" to the best SALESMAN of the year... ME !!!
We got lunch in a nice restaurant called Vilela and at the time I was told that I would need to drink "one glass of wine"...
So did... It looked like a medicin... But I did...
Everything was OK while I was sit... Then it was time to "pick the Award" ( one LEICA camera....) and I tried to stand up and pick it up ...  I COULD NOT stand up.... One single glass of wine made my legs imobilized as I never had drunk alcool before...
++

My second alcool was with my boss at Abbott Laboratories… He used to go in the end of the day to what was called “boite/American bars” and have coffee and some drinks there…. So far I remember it was Tia Maria liqueur.

My third time was in the "Persistentes" Club...
When the war started there was a carefew problem... Many days from 9 PM to 6 AM and most of the times from mid night to 5 AM, nobody was allowed in the streets without special permission... SO, in the week ends, groups of friends meet and stay together in the same flat ...
My group of friends, most of them from my home town, Gabela, used to join and during the night we used to make one "juice" made of combining several types of Alcool, Rum, Wisky, Vodka etc... Mixed with orange juice or Fanta...
This drink became called "monacaxito" due to the strong effect it used to have over the drinker...  "monacaxito" was the nick name given in Angola to the "Stalin organ", a Russian Rocket launcher that was used by the Angolan armed forces...
For a while I did not drunk this and our group used to drink it and next day go to work or, in the weekends, go to play soccer ... Due to that, the other groups knowing the story of the "monacaxito", they used to call us the "Persistentes" because we always played, we almost always lost the game and we never gave up...
The ideia have glued and later we decided to create a real CLUB that become known as "Club desportivo e recreativo os Persistentes"...
My next glass of alcool were really 5 glasses...
Several week ends after I joined the group, I tasted the "monacaxito" and it tasted almost "orange juice"... As I did not felt the alcool and was thursthy, I took 5 glasses in one space of one hour...
Suddently I felt that I want to sleep.. I took off from my friends house violating the carefew, arrive at the bottom of my building and woke up at 8 in the morning inside my car with people around the car saying "... He is dead" saying some... and "He is not dead" saying others... I was not … I woke up and went home…
Well since then I learned how to drink... I learned to control my body and never got seriously drunk again except in the last time before I decided to quit...
I remember to get seriously drunk twice in my life .. ONE, the first time... And the second the last time... This last time was in May of 2001 and I got a guest... Somehow, pre-dinner drinks, dinner drinks and after dinner drinks made me a bad effect... I drove the car in a so bad way that my guest was absolutly scared on me...
I realized later that I was loosing control and start liking alcool too much... I made one analysis and realized that, although I never got really drunk, I was starting liking the effect of the drinks before meals, during meals and mainly after meals...
In one or two occasions I did silly things which I thought they were funny BUT they were not and only made a fool of myself...
I realized as well that my phisical resistence was being reduced... I used to do 10kms in 40 minutes… I start not being able even to do 5kms 30 minutes.. Or worst…

So, on March 2000 I decided to put one absolut end to "alcool"...
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N´gola beer factory job

Price Waterhouse – A job that was given to me and other two colegues in Price Waterhouse was to do the "audit" of N´gola Beer Factory in Lubango... This was my second air trip... Another time one Dakota DC3 of DTA ( now called TAAG ).
We arrived at Lubango ( then was called Sá da Bandeira...) and they gave us the best ever treatment I ever had.. A 5 Star hotel... The best meals I ever ate ( untill then...) ..
The job itself proved to be one of my best jobs...
I found in that factory the BEST organized company I ever saw until then and in fact until now !!!.
In a time without computers the controller of that company had the best and more perfect system of work I ever saw...
He used on accounting system called RUF to do all the jobs...
From books to stock control and even staff management...
Everything was in place...
As Lubango on the time used to have one "Chartered accountants school" he hired a number of these students as their first jobs to "do all the accounting" of all operations using a similar very smart adaptation of the RUF system.
I used to be very familiar with the RUF system as I used it in Luanda in my book-keeping jobs and the way he adapted it was very smart.

All operations were done in the system..

Cash and banks control

Books itself

Stock control

Control of the personal

Control of fixed assets

Each accountant used to handle one "account" manually and all the "accountants" sincronized in him... He only closed the numbers and final information.
In the operational part it was as extremely well organized with "check lists" for everything... Each operation had one "check list"... No file went to the files until all check lists were done and verified.
When I realized that everything was 100% OK and we have nothing to put in the report, I suggested my colleagues to go for the "audit under the belt punch"... The "taras" and the "in production products-raw materials".. This is a kind of thing that is never right in "any company"... There are always small differences...
WELL... Guess... There were not !!!
All the "in production" was absolutely controlled and properly accounted and booked until the last liter.
All the "taras" were properly accounted and booked..
EVEN the "taras" that were damaged were accounted and "auditable" as they got a "tara repair" system.
AMAZING...This experience gave me the basis for the "integrated management program I developed later to all places where I worked … Abbot, Plessey, Protecnica and Sistec".
I would never able to be so successful in the practical application of the system in my own companies if I did not follow this N´Gola factory accountant concept; I copied it …..
-------------------------------

Lubango funny story..

When I was in Lubango doing the N´Gola factory job, we were in the best hotel of the town, that was, then, 5 star "Grande Hotel da Huila"...
One night I was sleeping and the phone rang.. It was the manager saying that there were some soldiers in the reception that need to "check my room for guns"...
I was totally amazed and sleepy and so, I said to him that they should come a see whatever they want...
They arrived to my room and here there were two portuguese soldiers with one of then with a perfect "round" air pressure gun bullet mark in his head fore-front...
Apparently they were "singing" one "serenata" to some girls living in one "church asylum" closed to the hotel when someone fired at them with the Air pressure gun...
They said that the shot came from the hotel... The only room occupied in that side of the hotel was mine and so, the hotel director said it could only be from my room...
Offcourse it was not and EVEN TODAY I wonder how the issue finished... They searched the room, found nothing and left... I my opinion the fire was from inside the "asylum" itself as the "singers" were probably not that good and the girls did not want the "serenata"... BUT anyway even today I register this here without knowing what really happened... Next day we finished our job and came back to Luanda.. Meanwhile the war started for real and the mess was all over..
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Coagrima audit

Price Waterhouse - I was sent with two colleagues, Rodrigues and Campos, to Malange to do one audit in Coagrima – A cotton organization..  Malange is around 450 kms away from Luanda.
At the time in Angola, 1974/5, the coup de Etad just took place in Portugal and the situation just started to become out of control..
Strikes, population marchs etc etc..
I took my first flight in my life in a DC3 of DTA ( the old name of TAAG ) and arrived in Malange...
We started our work which was allready beeing done in a "war enviroment"..
I were able to do most of our work but due to the increasing problems in the town the director of Coagrima recommended us to "leave" and go to Luanda as "problems were forecasted" between MPLA and the other parties...

To be mentioned as well, one story .. One day a “low level clerk” called me to a side and said that he had a “lot to sell” me… ( Malange is in one important diamonds area …) .. I said I did not know what he meant but anyway I followed him to a place inside the company where he have shown me what he said to be “diamonds”… The price was nice ( I remember was one of my monthly salaries ) … And the stones look nice and real BUT I did not had the money with me and even if I did I would not do the business as it was illegal.. Anyway… Many year later I had opportunity to “see some” lots of diamonds and eventually I made the worst mistake of my life… For what I remember and if the stones were real, the value of the lot would be around USD 4 million… Or more… They were impressive big clear stoners…

 

Anyway this is just a comment. .. Due to the situation, the Director of Coagrima tried to put us in one flight back to Luanda, but, IMPOSSIBLE ... All seats taken.. Roads were allready very dangerous... So he decided to put us inside a train to Luanda...
It was one of the more fantastic trip I ever made... Three white guys in the middle of a train full of black people...
The controls of MPLA, FNLA and UNITA  used to pop up at random... They used to stop the train and "go around it" trying to spot "spies" and voilá .. 3 white men with samsonite bags, in the middle of all these black people were "easy targets"... We were very luck after all... Our explanations were accepted by all everybody at the several "check points” and we were left to go after interrogation….
The trip took 28 hours... I was young and today I  find the experience funny... Even to pass 28 hours with almost no food... My colleges, older than me... DID NOT !!! After their arrival the prepared themselves and their families and left the country...
The report was made... Coagrima never received it because meanwhile the country went into real civil war... I don´t know if the service was ever paid or if it was pre-paid… PW, following head office instructions closed it activity in Angola shortly after that…
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Tony Cooper job

Another PW job...
In this case was not one "audit" job but one "bookkeeping"...
Tony Cooper was a very succesfull four year old factory that took the "city by storm" with a new type of unisex trousers made in a special material and with a funny navy shape with no pockets and pressing the genital area...
Everybody wanted one of that trousers... They were fashion and expensive.
BUT, they were extremely sucessfull and doing a lot of money WITHOUT any kind of books done...
So, TAX people went over them and sudently, here is factory TC with one inspection which wanted to "charge them" a lot of money is "tax", TC did not have books and the tax people want to charge them one “presume” profit ( based on the high success of the brand … ) … TC said it was not true and were given a time to present the real books.
So, they hired PW to "do the books" and prove they were right...
The civil war situation was already chaotic ... Some of my colleges already had left the country... And so, I was sent ALONE to this job... I was in a real "accounting bush" with no gun and no dog....
It took me three days to "understand" the South African method of work and the way they did the operations totally different from any of my previous experiences...
After that I need to find the documents, file them classify them, organize all the files, stock control, fixed assets control... Etc etc...
It was a nice experience... In the end of all TC, himself "offered to me two trousers" as a gift for the quality of the work, time frame I was able to do ti, and  precision of the information... I went further and prepared all the "tax papers" in a way that he started paying the taxs as per the "real profit" instead of the "forecasted profit"... It was a nice job and one experience that gave me a lot of endurance...
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Abbott spoiled products

While in Abbott the civil war started heavily in Angola.
Instead of acting like the other laboratories, me and my colleges decided to use this as one business oportunity, improving our services, offers and timings...
Our efforts proven right as we start selling extremely well and we start running out of stocks. Our products start being references for quality, availability and were having a very good acceptance.
When we completely ran out of some of the items, we were not able to import more products and the war was already a fact and no importation procedures or purchased to foreign were possible… So, we found out a way to continue selling...
HOW ??
The angolan law was at the time very strict on the "validity of the products"... This means that many products, unsold, expired in our warehouses...
Such products could not be sent to the dust bin without a special Min. of Health commitee meeting who would supervise the "destruction" of such products …
To people knowing about medical products, it is understood that, with little exceptions, the "margin of the validity" that is put and labeled into the products have a wide margin of error...

To people knowing about medical products in Angola, it is understood as well that the Comitee of MH would never come and “destroy” this products… So, they pile in the Warehouses for ages.
So, when we ran out of stock we realized that the warehouse was full of products which so far we realize they were “expired” but were “in good physical shape"...
So, as the full market ran out of medical products as well, we decided to "take the risk"...
We went to the "expired stock" and checked bottle by bottle starting by the less than one year expiration...
We realized that 100% of such products were physically good... So, we decided to "serve the market"...
We called the people in charge in the pharmacies, told them about the plan of putting this products in circulation... The plan was accepted... Actually there was not option at all… Country in war, no medical products in any laboratory in the market… So, the products were put inside water, labels taken out, new labels put in with 3 months validity.... We took the risk...Market was served... Many ill people have been cured...
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Abbott Isomil / Abbott sales

During my time in Abbott Laboratories I got a lot of experience in several types of Abbott products.

Abbott happen to have several divisions...

Medical products

Hospital products

Milk products
When I was hired there were several factors that affected my life in Abbott..
1- I was hired as controller
2- from 11 people, due to the start of the civil war, we were reduced to 5
3- I had never seen one importation file before
4- I had no knowledge of medical products
 

So, I was obliged to "learn" ...
I went into "phases"...
1- Put in place the accounting system I learning in  Ngola factory of Lubango that permit me to "have time" for the other jobs... 
2- Have a "training in selling medical products".
3- Go for the sales and outside office. With the precious help of one of my colleges, Gilberto ( meanwhile died … ) , I got a good knowledge of many things...
One of the hot cakes we got in our hands was the fact that we were one of the last laboratories in the market... Doctors were used to European laboratories, not American, and Abbot was American…..
Other, was that, mothers only new the "bird nest brand" in milk... Nestlé ... That little bird nest really was ( and is ) something with a  tremendous marketing impact.
So a big effort was necessary to sell...
How could we do with 6 people less.. ??

Well... We made the civil war our oportunity...

 

Contrary to the others, we start delievering to the pharmacy door instead of asking them to came and collect ( as the others did…)
We start offering options to pharmacies of Similac ( the Abbott milk products...)
We made the delieveries in 12 hours ( less for orders in the morning … )
In three months we were selling a lot... Products that never moved were being sold...
One of the most dificult products was the Similac Isomil...
This product is basically one substitute of animal milk to children that are alergic to animal milk...
When our standard animal milk Similac was near stock end, and no other milk products existed in the market, we took the decision to offer Isomil instead... It was a sucess...
Children happen to like more the Isomil than the standard milk... Less diarreias...
We sold all the stock...
Peace finally came and when it was time to "re-order" and get more stock, the head office, following the trend of other american companies decided to closure of the branch...
Mr Omar Catalagloo who came to Angola to close the office was surprised with the Brand name awarness achieved in the market, the sales volume and the fact that we went from the bottom list of the suppliers to the top 4 list.... BUT at the time the reason was political... So, the office was closed down...
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Plessey - PABX strowger/invention

 
After Abbott closed the office I become unemployed..
In fact not in total because while in Abbott I received contacts of:
A)-
My old boss at Angotur and Grollier that asked me to take care of the companies and all the men as themselves and all directors were leaving the country until after the independence…
B)-
Some Ex PW clients came to me to "make their books" and their "tax´s"...
Even while I was in Abbott I accepted and start handling at night the management of Angotur, Grollier and 3 or 4 other companies, beeing Plessey and Stag two of them.....

 
Being without a regular job, I start having more time to "my clients" and as soon as I informed Plessey that I was without a regular job, I was offered the "controller position" on Plessey Angolan Branch which I accepted.
Due to the N´Gola factory system that I introduced into all my clients, I got my controller job done in less than one day in all companies... So, I told my boss I need something else to do...  
So, I went into another round of "knowledge"... I knew nothing or very little of Communications products... I need to study a lot to get into this...
I got to know about PMBX ( manual switchboards ), Strowger systems ( the first automatic phone switching system of the world...)... Xbar ( next generation...), Key systems, Phones, Microwave radios etc etc..
Plessey had not very modern systems... In fact our systems were old and expensive... Angolan branch was almost bankrupt as well when I went into the company... The Director was aggressive and able to “do one effective cost control” … One high level engineer was hired from Portugal and came to live in Angola. All the Angolans were given additional training and three more technicians were hired locally.

I went into the marketing and selling with the other two directors… We start offering “quality fast services”… A nice, proper, fast after sales service…

Budgets were submitted in 24 hours... Instalation programs done in absolut agreement with the budget and forecasts in the proposal in time and value... Service requests were done in 12 hours ( I copied the Abbot answer system and so, if someone called in the morning would be served in the afternoon ).
Soon, we become the more important supplier of M&PABX´s to the market...
We used to "displace" modern ( for the time...) Xbar systems and put our old Strowger systems in their place.
In the public sector we re-implemented and were able to re-start the instalation program of the National Micro-Wave system with 960 + 960 channels of voice Nation wide...
We were able to be awarded with the orders for  50% of the public switching systems for Angola Telecom as well.
Our telephone model 7P became the standard of the market even to PABX´s of our competitors...
One nice experience was the STROWGER RE-SET invention made by one of our techniciens...
To people that knows about Strowger systems, they know that the "number" is dialed making one magnetic system push a mechnism that go up and to the side over a piece of metal with some "teeth" system where each number is a piece of metal separated by a space of non conductive material...
Due to power flutuation, this system often "jams" if the power went down and made the "mechanism" have less energy and lay over the non conductive material... 99% of the failures in this PABX´s were due to this failure... Normally the mechanism was only partially over the non conductive material but the energy of the system was not strong enough to “make the mechanism move”.  
So, when the technicien went to solve the "jam" was basically one "minute operation" and he would just put his finger in the mechanism and push it to the end... REpair done...

It was expensive to the client who would pay at least one hour work, bad to us as the machines were considered not so reliable, and frustrating to everybody.
So, what this technician invented  ... He invented a system that put a higher power in a switch in the switchboard in a way that if there is a "jam" the operator would only need to "press this buttom"… The switch would provide a little bit more power to the "conductive material and make the mechanism "jump" and land...
This invention was later adopted by almost all Strowger PABX´s in Angola, Mozambique, and Portugal...
The other thing we did was to "train the operators to go and check the mechanism and teach on how to make it land..." By doing this we made the operators more "important" and more "nice" to us as they start sharing with us experiences... They felt “envolved as well” as before they used to be considered just “just phone operators, a low level employee in the company chain”… I made good friends with these operators, 90% married family women doing an extra buck to their families… Or young nice girls getting their first jobs.
We at the time asked them as well to "make suggestion" on ways to improve our service and our products...
During all my time in Plessey I learned a lot in communications... Cable networks... PABX´s... HF & VHF radio ... Radio links...
 

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Alfabetização / My first big business

Plessey in Angola was a branch of Plessey in Portugal and after a certain time and while re-organizing the books, I realized that the people sent by Portugal to Angola earned 20 times more than people hired in Angola.
This situation was unfair mainly because any expatriate would need the Angolans to move around and do their jobs until they know the country, clients and town properly… Generally when they know all things they are called back and another person comes re-starting the learning curve.

I found out that the expatriates knowledge is not that different from local hired people and so, after a certain time I wrote to the Boss explaining that such situation was not fair...
At the time as well I took on my hands the file of several millions USD of debts of Angola Government to Plessey...
In that time the problem was not to get the payments done to the supplier but to get the right legal paperwork and present it to the bank for payment… Due to the war all this papers were missing or “around the several” departments of the Government …
My boss and the other expatriate had no clue on what was necessary and where get the paperwork to proceed with the payments… Actually they were just “writing letter to the government” asking for payments, situation that was worthless in practical terms as the Government was themselves in a mess re-organizing themselves and having one war on their hands.
I got that knowledge from all my customs experience in Abbott.
So I picked up the file and start digging papers 5 to 6 years old, find them, prepar them properly, submit to Angola Telecom and the Army ( the debtors ) and get the file sent to the Central Bank and get the payments.
After 6 months or so, I finally got the checks for 99,9% of the debts...
I realized then that my boss was very excited with the situation... For me was routine but he was excited..
As soon as I brought the checks in, several million USD, he booked a trip to Portugal and took the checks in person to his boss...
While I was in Angola and when he used to travel I normally would take care of his home and have a copy of the keys of his desk where he normally used to leave some money for the small expenses such as water, power bills and so...
During his trip out, a bill need to be paid and I went to his desk to take the money out... I was curious about one copy of one memo sent to his boss "covering the checks" that was on top of the box where he got the money.. The title could not be more elucidative... "Dear Sir, Finally I got the payments..."
As it was not true, because all the work was mine, I decided to read the rest ... A big buck of cold water in my head... HE was the GOOD one... Not a single word to my work who actually did all the work...
So, when he returned I told him the following... “ Either I get identical salary as expatriates from Portugal get or I quit... “ They did not ... I quit...
Result...
1-To replace me they were obliged to import 2 people from Portugal, each one earning the expatriate salaries and hire local companies to do many of my work.
2-These 2 guys have no clue on how and where to solve things... They were afraid even in getting out of the office.
3-They lost almost all the PABX market.
4-They lost the Public sector as well except in a small minor software area.

To noticed here as well that one year after I quit the boss from Portugal invited me to a dinner with my wife to a place … In that meeting he offered my job back with all the conditions I asked before and lot of additional “grants”… It was too late though… I already have my own company running with no way back…

 

Anyway... As they did not pay me what I asked for, I quit and had no job...
I decided then to try to do my own "business" and work for my own..
At the time, Angola was in a "Planified socialist economy" and so, I decided to register myself as one "Individual Independent Commercial Agent".
I start searching for business oportunities and I found one nice oportunity in "Centro Nacional de Alfabetização"...
Such CNA had a plan to "give basic school education to all angolan citizens"...
I was ex-school college of the director and so I spoke with him in a way that I could supply his needs in all school materials...
I have saved his CNA office 800K USD from his budget.. HE was going to spend 2 million... I supplied everything he needed for 1,2 million and earning a lot of money for myself...
The materials we sold were so much and at so good price that 6 years later they were still using the same lot of materials...
It was my first real personal good business that permitted me to have enough money to start Protecnica.

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2nd Big business -1.000.000 zippers

My second big business was to sell 1.000.000 zippers to the Angolan Army uniforms..
At the time, again I got several issues going on... I visited almost all ministries looking for business oportunities... If  I was smart I would be RICH today... But on the time I could not "see" so much money in front of me and did not believe when I saw oportunities like some of the ones I lost...
I just went to things I thought I would do business and nobody else wanted..
One of this oportunities was "zippers"... My contact was trying to get a quote for this and nobody was interested... So.. I picked up the file and got around 10 difference samples from several places...
The selection process was a very funny one as soldiers were brought in and taking the trousers made with the several zippers and ordered to open and close them several times... Pee with them... Pee on them... Get "water" similating rain over the trousers... Go into mud ... Etc etc...
A funny "project" ... And good money as well...
I was told years later that "my zippers" were the best "zippers" ever used in the Angolan army... :-)

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Paper business

On my process of finding clients I came across with a big tender paper for "paper" and "envelopes" to the National Printing Organization...
This tender was offered to me after the sucess of the business to CNA where the NPO knew about it and wanted a similar system... End to end purchase...
Due to the diversity of the paper types and envelopes, there was not a single manufacturer able to supply the products ... Due to that, I got a contact of a small company in Belgium who was able to provide me with samples for all the products we wanted with several quality types and prices...
After a 3 month process I got the business of 69 million Belgium Francs ... It was a massive quantity of paper...
Trucks and trucks full of paper were taken out of the harbour to the clients warehouse...
12 years later the organization was still using paper that was supplied under this batch...
It was a nice business !!! And a nice experience as I started to get a nice knowledge on paper types, measures etc...
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One nice experience on selling things

After independence many companies were literally left by their owners.
The Government at the time decided that they would need to make interventions and created a priority list on their interventions.
On the end of the list there were minor services companies who used to sell and repair "hi-fi products" and spare parts.
I got across one of this companies through a contact with the Ministry of Internal Trade... At the time they said to me to "make a bid" for what was inside a specific shop... That includs "unrepaired Hi-Fi systems", "speakers", " cables", "connetors", "components" ETc...
Knowing very little of this products I contacted a friend of mine who worked for the National Broadcasting Station, and we both decided to "do the business"...
We earned a lot of money, split it into two and as a spare we got for us some un-repaired hi-fi´s ...
In my part I stayed with a "reel tape recorder" which I had for many years.
All the merit of the business go to this friend... All the knowledge was his... He made all the repairs to the hi-fi systems as well.. It was a nice experience...
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Loss of the sale of Aviation Commuters

After creating Protecnica we tried to get "business" to the company.
I used to move well alone and with no specialization... BUT when you have a "company" and "a specialization" then the situation changes a lot and the boundaries of what you aim become different.
Protecnica tried to spot several oportunities and one of them were AIRCRAFTS...
At the time we knew that Angola were looking into Westernizing some of their military aircrafts as they used to use only URSS stuff.
The Russian products were very good AN26 and AN32 but by whatever political reason the Government wanted to do with this class of aircraft what they have done with the light helicopters ( they purchased Allouete and later Dauphin...).
First we learned a lot in what "could be the angolan needs".
We came to the conclusions that the aircraft that angola would need would be:

STOL ( short take off and landing )

Tall wing to permit landing in earth aerodroms

Tall engines, same reasons.

Use PT6 engines ( western market standard...)

Around 5 tons
We look around to see what as in the market... We analysed aircrafts allready in production and some nice designs that were to go into production...

Dornier 228

Shorts Skyvan

Casa 212

Bufalo
After analysing all the units, the possibility of getting financy package from the producer government etc ... We realized that the best option would be the Spanish Casa Aviocar 212....
We got aproval from Casa to do preliminary contacts and we started promoting the aircraft.
Finally we got the "ideia sold" and got the official Government interest... When we tried to get the official representation of CASA, they said that they were not interested in Angolan market... ( ??? )...
Later, they came directly with a demo unit ... Our work was so well done that when they landed in Lubango airport the officer of the Air force asked... Where are Rui and José  ??
Offcourse they said that we have nothing to do with the business...
Angola purchased 12 units...  We lost a gold opportunity… We even tried to change the aircraft and “f…” CASA but it was to late and CASA was in fact the best option … The only real contendor would be Shorts Skyvan that meanwhile stop being made.

 

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Land Rovers Special for PA and Films

 
When I started Protecnica it was the first new private company created after independence...
When we started Protecnica it was the start of the down turn on the international oil prices, 1981… We tried to get “a business rolling” but although we did a lot of answers to inquiries fact is that we were not able to sell anything as the country basically have no money to spend.

At the time as well, the rebel group fighting the Government, UNITA, start climbing to north of Angola and we thought about a possible propaganda business that Government could use to promote themselves to the population and the idea was to sell to the Government 18 special made Land Rovers equipped with all types of propaganda material … Projection movies, music, speakers etc.

We lost a lot of time and effort but we did not succeed in selling such vehicles.

I wonder if we were able to sell them, the guerrilla would own so much space in the ground as they did as we know today that they were using  basic demagogy and threat propaganda to attract them to their side.

 

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Introduction of PC´s in Angola

When I started Protecnica it was the first new private company created after independence...
At the time we tried many business possibilities such as aircrafts and military radios... In the end we start doing smaller business and went into Minolta coppiers...
At a certain time I decided that we would need to put a computer in the company to do the book keeping and the internal organization. I had heard about some wonder machines beeing used for that purpose in USA and EUrope.
I tried to get one of that machines locally from one of the local recognized computer companies.. NCR, Ollivetti, IBM and Robotron... I got a quote from NCR for 60.000 USd for a machine that they could not even demonstrate and with no software and another 33.000 USd for a BCS machine from Ollivetti...
That was not what I was looking for... So, I decided to look around the market and try to find a solution.....
I searched Commodore, Apple and Tandy but could not get them to ship to Angola who, at the time, was in a kind of "brown list" for exports of products like chips and micro processors.
The first thing like a PC was a "kit mounted Sinclair ZX80".. The second one was another Sinclair ZX81.. These machines proven to be un professional and not built for business use..
I was able to get New Brain from UK and Casio from Japan, machines based on CP/M from Digital Research supported with COBOL programming language.
At the time me and a programmer from the Main Frames studied day and night the PC´s and developped the first commercial applications for PC´s in Angola.
At same time, some Ministries and companies of Angola, knowing about our experience, decided to try on their own these machines...
To be remembered that, at the time, Angola was under a strong communist influence in a system called Planified Socialist Economy, which, at the time, decided that only four companies would supply computers to Angola.. IBM, NCR, Oliveti and Robotron... None of them at the time produced PC´s …
The first machines that arrived in Angola came under the customs classification "cientific programable calculators" ... This was the way I found to "turn around" a stupid law...
Programs were made in Cobol, Basic and later in Dbase/Clipper for all sort of applications from book-keeping to POS´s...
On 1989 / 1991 Protecnica e later Sistec, were absolut market leader in PC´s with more than 60% of the machines sold and installed in Angola.
Unfortunely my partners in Protecnica did not follow my believes on what the market was going to be, and we decided to split the company in a de-merger process.
The de-merge was not pacific and the effort on the process made us loose proper track on the market and we gave away market share in all areas we used to be market leaders. Competition was the only one to win with our de-merge.
Sistec, the follow of Protecnica office division is still playing one important rule in the PC and computer sector, BUT not anymore as market leader...
In 1982, Protecnica introduced the first angolan clone PC, the P 3 and later in 1984, the P 4 and the P4S...
In 1994 Sistec stopped the clone line and decided to concentrate on a brand label, Gateway... Later, Gateway closed all its sales outside USA and Sistec become IBM business partner which is now a combination of Lenovo and IBM products.

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CCA, IXPRESS and Ameralinx

 

Due to differences of opinion between Protécnica partners on how and where to drive the company, it was decided to "split" the company into 3 parts... Sistec got from Protécnica the Office and Computer Division...

At Sistec, and it was no longer illegal,  I decided then that it would be nice to have offices outside Angola… I decided to invest in three companies…. One that I decided to buy, Ameralinx, a small ISP in USA and with which I agree a program which was not followed by my partner there and failed 5 years later and two others that I bought … One, CCA, I was obliged to buy as we made a big order and the company meanwhile went into Ch 11 and we were on the edge of loosing all money and the other, IXPRESS that was as well in Ch 11 and I thought it was a good opportunity.

 

All of them were a flop… CCA … We got the goods we paid for, we developed some new products and we were re-doing the brand name worldwide as we had more than 10.000 broadcasting transmitters installed worldwide, but then there was the 11^th September and all the orders were almost stopped … As we start running out of cash I decided to start the closure process and so we did…

 

IXPRES was to be joint to Ameralinx but the partner in USA, despite all what we have agreed in the Business Plan did not implement what we decided…  Basically my ideia was to do one Worldwide ISP for mail and access with a big mail account and allowing big annexes (on the time big mail was 50Mb and big annex was 1Mb…) … The access was warranted by the the Gric/iPass agreement that he was not able to sign ( I signed it for our ISP in Angola without any problem …) and a big mail account in order that we would offer “premium accounts to corporate customers”… Again he was never able to put in place a proper mail service… Trying to go around I invested further money in IXPRES which at the time had 5000 clients already, but the situation went even worst as the costs sky rocketed and the program was still not implemented.

 

Just to be noticed that, years later, Google attracted many clients by offering a big mail account … Exactly what I wanted to do in Ameralinx/Ixpress… It was strange that my partner, who supposed to understand clearly the business, after I have shown him all the service we did in Angola working we webmail and roaming, in the end of the company came to me with a proposal to buy a software that would do a “limited webmail” access for our mail… I was p… off as 5 years before I have shown him exactly what I wanted to do and he agreed to with a Webmail that was far better than what he was showing me then… I asked him to review his notes and check exactly the BP and the demo papers I have done with him 5 years before and asked why he did not implent the program as we discussed. I decided then that it was time to forget outside marked and go away.

 
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Cartoons

In 1992 Sistec decided to support one group of cartoonists who were the students of a Known angolan artist, Mr. Henrique Abranches… Mr Abranches had several students of Cartoons that later on became well knows persons in the art… Lito Silva and Sérgio Piçarra are two of the names.

Together with him we developed several things:

• The mascote of Sistec, Mr Sis and later Lady Tec
• We made some computer animation then which today looks like pre-historic
• We made a compilation of all the cartoons published after independence under and name that we called “Golden pack” … composed by:
  • – The history of the GB/Cartoon in Angola
  • – All the books published until then
  • – The presentation of a new characters that would start being produced from then on… “PArada dos Kandengues”
  • – 5 pictures of Henrique Abranches signed by him.

 

• Unfortunely neither the Golden pack sold well and we ended up offering them away most of them
• The Parada was able to produce until now 19 magazines only.

 

So, I decided that it was not time anymore to loose money and efforts on this as it was a nice idea but not revenue stream to support it properly.

 

I still have the full collection of the books published though.

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