The deputy of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), Idalina Valente, said, when reading the political declaration of her parliamentary group within the scope of the discussion and approval, in general, of the proposal of the General State Budget (OGE) for 2023, that the uncertain and unstable institutional framework, "should mobilize the whole nation, in particular the deputies, in the duty of understanding and enlightening citizens about the economic policy options contained in the budget".
According to Idalina Valente, it is also necessary to inform citizens about the opportunities and challenges facing society, with a view to mitigating the adverse impacts on the Angolan economy.
Idalina Valente highlighted that the economic perspectives contained in the OGE 2023 point to a real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 3.4 percent, above the forecast for 2022, justified by a growth in the oil sector, in the order of 3 percent, resulting from the combined effect of higher production volume and an average annual price of a barrel of oil of 75 dollars.
The non-oil sector is expected to grow by 3.4 percent, the highest economic growth in the last three years, justified by the expected growth in the sectors of agriculture (8 percent), fisheries (10 percent), and construction (11 percent), highlighted Idalina Valente.
"It is important to note that if the GDP growth rate, even if positive, is lower than the population growth rate, this means that the increase in wealth generated in the economy is insufficient to guarantee the maintenance of the population's standard of living, because we will have less resources available to distribute to more people and this is the situation that the Angolan economy and a little around the world have been verifying cyclically over the last few decades", she indicated.
The parliamentary group of the MPLA recommended to the executive a good execution and an efficient distribution of the budget, based on planning instruments defined in the Basic Law of the General Regime of the National Planning System, including the territorial organization plans so that this increase can have an impact real in the lives of Angolans.
According to the deputy, this budget demonstrates a commitment to the economic sector, corresponding to 10 percent of total expenditure, and an increase of 630 billion kwanzas compared to the 2022 State Budget, with emphasis on increases in agriculture, with 2 percent of total expenditure, transport with 2.9 percent and energy with 3.9 percent, significant changes compared to last year.
"Increases in these areas boost the dynamism of the private sector and create jobs, especially for younger people who need it so much", said Idalina Valente, stressing that this OGE proposal "provides for a set of measures focused on people, on prosperity, in peace and on the planet", relying on indispensable partnerships, especially with continental and international financial institutions.
"Despite the gains obtained, the MPLA parliamentary group encourages and recommends that the executive accelerate the process of implementing measures aimed at expanding the tax base, for increasing revenue, efficiency and effectiveness in its collection and improving the quality of expenditure foreseen in the OGE in a consistent way", she said.
"We want to call for an increasingly clear and perceptible action, which eliminates speculation, generating security and confidence in the work of institutions, without falling into the demagoguery propagated to the seven winds by the political opposition, which does nothing more than invent facts to justify their mistakes," she added.
Idalina Valente, responding to a UNITA parliamentary group's criticism of alleged intimidation of journalists, said that "it was not the executive who expelled journalists from Rádio Despertar, owned by the largest opposition party".
The deputy stressed that the country has been witnessing a change in attitudes, resulting from a new political culture, greater freedom and debate in the political space and greater proximity between rulers and citizens.
"The MPLA parliamentary group understands situations of strikes, demonstrations or expressions of freedom by unionized professionals and isolated citizens and remembers that democracy only makes sense if there is respect for differences", she noted, stating that for the MPLA dialogue will always prevail, seeking to build consensus on issues of national interest.
