Luanda: Deputies to the National Assembly on Tuesday defended greater rigour in monitoring the actions programmed in the 2025 General State Budget, to meet the needs of the population. During a session in Luanda, parliamentarians emphasized the importance of ensuring that allocated funds are effectively applied to projects included in the budget. According to Angola Press News Agency, the discussion took place during a meeting that analyzed the Angolan Productive Sector, within the scope of the 2025 State Budget debate session. Members of the government's economic team were questioned by parliamentarians, who stressed the need for effective application of funds. Concerns were raised regarding public works, energy and water, agriculture and forests, environment, media, fisheries and marine resources, and transport. MPLA deputy José Ndambuca emphasized prioritizing ongoing projects before initiating new ones. He stated, "We cannot start new works when there are some projects that have stopped, we need to fini sh them and then start new projects." UNITA deputy Monteiro Eliseu advocated for stricter supervision of project execution and accountability for non-compliant companies. He highlighted the necessity for construction companies to adhere to deadlines and maintain quality, along with the need to increase public buses for improved mobility of public servants. MPLA deputy Maria Escovalo underlined the importance of investing in agriculture, advocating for the implementation of agricultural input distribution projects to ensure good productivity and product quality. Paulo de Carvalho from the MPLA pointed out the urgency of controlling fires, combating wood smuggling, and enhancing road rehabilitation to facilitate agricultural production flow. Deputy Armando Caquepa from UNITA expressed concern over prolonged project completions in the province of Cuanza-Sul. He remarked, "We cannot have work from 2017 in the 2025 budget, we have projects in the province of Cuanza-Sul that are not concluded." UNITA's Deputy Faustino Mumbica called for increased support and more projects for family farming and training in the productive and scientific education sector. The 2025 State Budget draft law aims to increase the consumption of goods and services produced nationally and establish the Legal Regime for Incentives to National Production through public entity contracts. The budget projects a national economic growth of approximately 4.14% and a reduction in VAT on production equipment from 14% to 5%, maintaining a payment period of up to 24 months introduced in 2023. The document also outlines measures to support investment in food security, restructuring the cereals and grains sector, and enhancing agricultural mechanization, particularly in family agricultural production. The budget estimates revenues and expenses of around 34.6 billion kwanzas, based on an oil price of 70 dollars per barrel and production exceeding 1 million barrels per day, aiming to avoid lower inflation of around 16.6% compared to the expected 23.4% b y the end of 2024.
