"We will continue to work to strengthen our institutions internally and detect these practices as quickly as possible, also by improving the morale of public officials. We intend to continue reporting all irregular practices as a sign that the executive remains relentless against acts of corruption and embezzlement", Vera Daves assured the National Assembly this Thursday.
Responding to the concerns of deputies about alleged illicit practices by public managers, during the discussion and vote on the implementation report of the General State Budget (OGE) in the third quarter of 2024, Vera Daves assured that the government "remains committed to the administrative, civil and criminal accountability of managers and public officials involved in illicit acts, with continued strengthening of internal control instruments and policies".
Senior officials of the General Tax Administration (AGT), a body overseen by the Ministry of Finance, were recently arrested for alleged involvement in a fraudulent VAT refund scheme involving a diversion of 7 billion kwanzas.
At the end of January, the Angolan authorities arrested the director of the office of the SME's general director and the head of the Human Resources department of the same body, for alleged crimes of criminal association, undue receipt of benefits and passive corruption due to strong evidence of involvement in a fraudulent scheme.
The Maka Angola portal, managed by activist Rafael Marques, denounced the existence of a "hole" of more than 21 billion kwanzas in the National Institute of Study Grant Management, through transfers and payments without justification, made in 2022, while the Court of Auditors is investigating that institution, as announced on Wednesday by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation.
The minister apologized to taxpayers and citizens for the harmful acts committed by public officials against the good management of the public treasury – alluding to the AGT case – assuring that the government will continue to be vigilant against illicit practices.
"And we will adopt the necessary measures to ensure that such situations do not happen again and we trust the authorities who are working to ensure that those proven guilty can be held duly accountable," she assured.
The minister also called on economic managers to defend their resources "earned through sacrifice and sweat", a defense, she noted, that "does not feed unconfessed appetites and does not entice public servants".
Regarding budget execution, the Minister of Finance reported that during the third quarter of 2024, revenue collected was 18 percent of the annual revenue approved by the 2024 State Budget.
In the months of July, August and September 2024, revenues worth 4.33 billion kwanzas were collected and expenditures worth 4.7 billion kwanzas were made, with a budget deficit of around 369.5 billion kwanzas, announced Vera Daves.
The minister also acknowledged that economic diversification and the reduction of the country's dependence on oil "is a slow process", admitting that she would like it to move faster.
"We would like it to move faster, but we remain committed to diversification, both within the energy sector (renewable energy) and also in agriculture, light industry, tourism (...) and we continue to act on several fronts so that economic diversification happens more quickly", she concluded.
