Ricardo Viegas d’Abreu spoke in Luanda on the sidelines of a business meeting between Angola, France, and Portugal, organized by the Portugal-Angola Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIPA) and the Angola-France Bilateral Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CEFA).
The minister stated that the government has maintained an “open and constructive dialogue” with all parties involved, whether they are passenger or freight transport operators, to monitor the adjustment process.
“It is obvious that fuel has a very significant impact on the cost structure of either of these activities. The transmission is neither automatic nor direct, hence the dialogue with these associations to ensure some stability and order in the adjustment process they will have to undertake, which is natural,” the official said.
On Monday, the price per liter of diesel rose by 50% to 300 kwanzas (30 cents), matching the price of gasoline.
“The cost of fuel has a very significant impact, and although the transmission is not direct, it happens, and these adjustments will have to be made,” he reiterated, adding that it is necessary to ensure the economy is closer to real costs.
“This is a gradual process, as has been communicated by the executive, but the fact is we need to ensure this happens; otherwise, we risk weakening public finances, which, in turn, would prevent us from at least guaranteeing a fairer remuneration for people,” he continued.
Fuels in Angola are subsidized by the state, which made the political decision to gradually withdraw this subsidy, following the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) recommendations, a process ongoing since 2023.
