Luanda - The Angolan Government will prioritize, in 2025, actions for the improvement and development of the socio-economic situation of the populations, with emphasis on strengthening food security and national production.
The information was given this Thursday, in Luanda, by the Minister of Finance, Vera Daves, when she presented, in the National Assembly, the proposal for the General State Budget for the 2025 financial year, under debate, in general, during the 2nd extraordinary meeting of the current legislature.
The minister explained that there are actions that serve this purpose, investments in agricultural infrastructure, in a logic in which the State will spend resources, but will also partner with the private sector and resort to the support of international organizations.
She referred to the programme to promote agricultural and livestock production, as one of the main ones that competes for this axis, whose proposed value in the State Budget is 403.4 billion kwanzas, the Integrated Programme for Local Development and Fight against Poverty, with a budget of 232.21 billion, and the National School Feeding Project, whose budgeted value is 450 billion kwanzas.
According to Vera Daves, the proposal reinforces the Public Investment Programme, which is budgeted at 5.36 billion kwanzas, (4.13 billion kz for projects with secured financing), while PIIM continues to be a priority, with a budget of 159.52 million kwanzas.
The document focuses on the protection of the most vulnerable, reinforcing the Executive's action in the fight against poverty and in the protection of this layer of society.
As part of its implementation, the Government proposes, among others, measures to support investment in food security, through the restructuring and dynamization of the cereals and grains sector, strengthening agricultural mechanization, mainly with regard to family agricultural production
According to the minister, in 2025, the economy should continue to respond to the stimulus measures being carried out by the Executive, so economic growth is expected to be higher than that expected for the end of 2024, of 4.8 percent, a gross domestic product of 91.12 trillion kwanzas.
She recalled that the budget was prepared with a reference price of 70 dollars a barrel of oil and an oil production of 1.98 thousand barrels per day (one million and 98 thousand barrels).
She highlighted the program for the Expansion and Improvement of the National Health System with 807.59 billion kwanzas, with the main objective of increasing access to health services and quality medicines, reducing infant and maternal mortality and the incidence of communicable and chronic non-communicable diseases.
She also mentioned the Education System Expansion and Modernization Program, with 776.52 billion kwanzas, with a view, above all, to access all levels of education, reduce illiteracy and school delays in the population over 15 years old, as well as increasing education and digital literacy.
The minister mentioned, among others, the Construction, Rehabilitation, Conservation and Maintenance of Road Infrastructure Program, which includes 811.88 billion kwanzas in the document.
On the other hand, she referred to the adjustment of civil service salaries by around 25 percent, valuing income and mitigating the impact of inflation on purchasing power.
The 2025 OGE proposal includes total revenues and expenses of 34 billion, 633 billion, 790 million, 87 thousand and 312 kwanzas, 40% more than the 2024 OGE.
Regarding revenue, the minister explained that 17 billion come from tax revenue, 14.64 billion from financing revenue and 2.99 billion from other revenue as a result of asset sales.
With regard to expenses, 16.87 billion for debt service; 6.15 billion capital expenditure, 4.31 billion goods and services; 4.30 billion in personnel expenses and 2.83 billion in transfers.
Regarding the functional distribution of expenditure, including public debt service, she explained, the document has financial charges, the social sector and general public services at the top, with 51, 22 and 12% respectively in the weight of expenditure.
Excluding public debt, she said, the proposal includes the social sector, general public services and the economic sector in the top three places with 44, 24 and 16%, respectively, in terms of expenditure weight.
As for specific amounts, it proposes 2.2 billion kwanzas for education, an increase of 43% compared to 2024; 1.9 billion for health, an increase of 41%; 1.6 billion for housing and communal services, an increase of 59% and 1.3 billion for social protection, an increase of 58%. VC/DOJ
