Luanda: Maize will soon be included in Angola's list of widely consumed products subject to import regulation, as part of efforts to encourage and prioritise domestic production, Industry and Commerce Minister Rui Miguªns de Oliveira announced.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the announcement was made by Minister Rui Miguªns de Oliveira during a press briefing on Thursday in Luanda, following the 3rd Ordinary Meeting of the Economic Commission of the Council of Ministers, chaired by President Joo Louren§o. The minister outlined plans for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to issue a new regulation, which will amend Executive Decree No. 130/26 to facilitate this change.
The proposed order, reviewed during the council meeting, aims to update the list of widely consumed products that fall under the legal framework designed to promote national production. It also establishes new obligations for licensed economic operators who import maize, requiring them to purchase domestically a quantity of maize equivalent to at least 30 per cent of their total imports. This measure is intended to boost national production, enhance the marketing of domestic output, and strengthen integration across production value chains.
Rui Miguªns de Oliveira emphasized that adding maize to the import list underscores the Angolan government's commitment to supporting domestic production. He highlighted maize as a crucial raw material for Angola's food-processing industry and noted the production increases among both commercial farmers and family producers.
He further stated, 'The amendment to the current regulation seeks to include another product - maize - and once again send a clear signal to the market that the Government will continue to prioritise domestic production.'
In addition to updating the list of widely consumed products, the Economic Commission of the Council of Ministers approved a Presidential Order that delegates powers to the minister responsible for the tourism sector. This initiative aims to promote community well-being through tourism, boost visitor numbers, increase local employment, and support sustainable and competitive cross-sector tourism, all while contributing to biodiversity conservation.
In the financial domain, government figures revealed that total revenue for the second quarter exceeded 3.802 trillion kwanzas, whereas expenditure surpassed 8.629 trillion kwanzas. This fiscal gap was managed through financing revenue amounting to more than 5.863 trillion kwanzas.
