Angola: Unita Considers It Necessary to Withdraw Fuel Subsidies

Borralho Ndomba / Deutsche Welle
Angola's opposition party has decried authorities' heavy-handed response to protests, saying 11 people have so far been killed.
10 June 2023
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

Viana — The leader of Angola's main opposition UNITA party, Adalberto Costa Júnior, considered this Saturday, in Luanda, the removal of fuel subsidies a necessary measure, despite the lack of timing in its implementation.

"We publicly state that the elimination of fuel subsidies is a necessary measure, but that its implementation lacks timing and complementary measures", said the UNITA leader during his speech at the 6th ordinary meeting of the party.

The politician added that the government did not yet justify the absence of economic pursuit of the country's productive structure as it is impossible to sort out the adopted policies to promote industrial production linked to the oil and gas chain.

The leader of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) considered that the Government has been interfering in the establishment of prices of goods and services in the economy such as road transport and energy, as these are key components of spatial mobility by the population without however using the proper instruments for the promotion of transparency and information access which are crucial to combine the democratic regime and for the definition of public policies that serve the well-being of the population.

The government announced last week the adjustment of petrol prices, which went from 160 to 300 kwanzas per liter.

The new price table, which does not cover cabs, motorcycle cabs and small fishing boats, came into force on Friday, June 2nd, after being announced by the government.

With the withdrawal of the gradual subsidy to the price of petrol, the State saves 400 billion kwanzas, with a weight of 40% on fuel subsidies.

The government said that the granting of subsidies to fuel prices is an economic and social measure, resulting from a combination of tax policy and income and prices policy, supported by Presidential Decree No. 206/11 of 29 July, approving the General Bases for the Organization of the National Price System and Presidential Decree No. 283/20 of 27 October.

Data shows that, in 2022, the State assumed a total subsidy of Kz 1.98 billion, being diesel the fuel that represents the greatest weight of this expense, with Kz 1.35 billion (68,1% of the total). Petrol has a value of Kz 458.78 billion (23.2% of the total). PA/AC/VM/MRA/jmc

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