In a statement, the New Alliance of Angolan Taxi Drivers Association (ANATA), the Angolan Taxi Drivers Association (ATA), the Luanda Taxi Drivers Association (ATL) and the Angolan Motorcycle Drivers and Transporters Association (Amotrang) said that the withdrawal of fuel subsidies "has divided several opinions" and that the leaders of the associations do not agree with the Government's decision.
The associations "follow with great concern the manifestations of taxi drivers and motorcycle taxi drivers that are taking place in the country as a result of the drastic rise in the price of gasoline" and promise to take a position from July 1, the date that the Government has set for them to be able to make complaints .
Meanwhile, they recommend "calm and patience" to taxi drivers and that they always wait for "guidance from the associations before taking any action".
The process of attributing cards for the subsidy of gasoline to operators of this class of transport has been going on for 14 days, time that the associations consider not to be enough to take a position on the stoppage or general strike of taxi services, despite protests having taken place. in the provinces with the highest consumption of gasoline, namely Namibe, Huíla and Huambo.
To taxi drivers, the associations ask that they present a copy of the licenses and ask the associations for support to quickly consult the cards, appealing to the non-licensed ones to regularize their situation.
The National Police are asked to reduce "the pressure on taxi drivers" and avoid "operations and excesses by the agents" at this stage of issuing the cards.
For the Government, the recommendation goes towards "rethinking whether the current form of payment cannot be replaced by digital cards, to speed up the process of assigning gasoline cards", also asking for transparency from municipal administrations and the presence of associations of taxi drivers and motorcycle taxi drivers "in the act of counting and delivering the cards".
The associations point out that at the meeting with the ministries of Oil and Gas, Finance and Transport, they demanded that the Government maintain the prices of diesel, at 130 kwanzas, and 160 kwanzas for gasoline "for vehicles that use public transport, with a view to reducing the inflationary impact on populations and avoid general demonstration/strikes by Angolan taxi drivers".
"After the entry into force of the measure of the Council of Ministers on the withdrawal of a part of the gasoline subsidy and returned to taxi drivers and motorcycle taxi drivers via the card, ANATA, ATA and ATL regretted the fact that the Government did not first produce all the cards of licensed taxi drivers before the measure was taken", reads the statement.
The subscribers underline that "they have been following millimetrically and demanding that the Government be more transparent and communicative, from the Ministries of Transport, Oil and Gas, Finance and Treasury, as well as the provincial offices of Traffic and Urban Mobility in telling the public how many cards are being produced per day and how they are distributed by provinces, municipalities".
On 1 June, the Angolan Government implemented a new price for gasoline, as part of the gradual withdrawal of the fuel subsidy, exempting taxi drivers, motorcycle taxi drivers, licensed artisanal fishing vessels and the agriculture sector.
The Government will continue to subsidize gasoline for these professional classes, through a card with a daily ceiling of 7000 kwanzas.
The process of delivering the cards is being marked by some delay, which has already resulted in stoppages and protests in the provinces of Huambo, with a balance of five dead, eight injured and dozens of detainees in clashes between the police and demonstrators, and also from Huila and Namibe.
