The proposal to reduce VAT to 5 percent against the previous 7 percent was presented this Monday by the Minister of Finance, Vera Daves de Sousa, during the discussion on the specific law proposal that changes the VAT code, after the suspension last August.
This Monday, during the discussion of this legal document in the specialty committees of the National Assembly, Vera Daves de Sousa noted that the Government now proposes a VAT of 5 percent, the same percentage also for some products whose rate was 14 percent.
Among the products proposed for the 5 percent VAT package are beef, pork, lamb and goat meat and poultry, except turkey and goose,
Fish – except shark, salmon and cod –, milk, buttermilk, yogurt, whey – except cream, butter, spread or margarine –, poultry eggs, fresh, preserved or cooked, vegetables or edible vegetables, fresh fruit, dried or conserved are also part of the list.
According to the minister, cereals in grain, products from the milling industry, corn, wheat and other flours, cooking oil and fat – except olive oil –, sugars, pasta, whether cooked or stuffed – except couscous – are also included in this list.
This VAT package also includes 5 percent cereal-based products obtained by expansion or roasting into grains or in the form of flakes or other processed grains, pastry, bakery or biscuit and biscuit products, wafers, wafers, dry flour pastes, starch, water, including carbonated water or ice and salt.
The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) supported the Government's proposal, as highlighted by deputy Paulo de Carvalho in his speech.
"The reduction in VAT will not provide any decrease in product prices, prices will remain unchanged despite this reduction, what will happen is that in the future there will be a smaller price increase", he highlighted.
The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) once again defended zero VAT for basic food products, as highlighted by its deputy, Álvaro Chikwamanga Daniel.
"Encourage the Government to continue to make some effort to accept that VAT on food must be eliminated, the problem of hunger in Angola is a serious problem," said the deputy.
The discussion, in particular, of the proposed law that changes the VAT Code from 14 percent to 7 percent was resumed this Monday, after being suspended last August due to a lack of consensus among deputies.
The National Assembly argued, in a note, that the presidents of the parliamentary groups decided that there was a need to further discuss this proposed law, the final and global vote of which is now scheduled for this week.
