"(Let's) see what opportunities there are in the Japanese market and others that appear interesting from the point of view of the cost-benefit ratio", said Vera Daves de Sousa, who spoke on Thursday at a press conference after the delivery of the proposal for General State Budget (OGE) for 2025.
The 2025 OGE proposal foresees revenues and expenses of 34.63 billion kwanzas, with a reference price of 70 dollars per barrel, estimating oil production of 1.098 million barrels/day.
According to Vera Daves de Sousa, for the next economic year the country plans to search for sources of financing that are "the cheapest possible and with the longest possible maturities" and with a grace period.
Vera Daves stressed that multilateral financing is mainly of interest, bilateral "with an export credit coverage agency, with a guarantee from a multilateral to help reduce the cost".
In 2025, Vera Daves de Sousa said that the removal of fuel subsidies will continue, with the Government working on mitigation measures.
The minister highlighted that in relation to the issue of unemployment, the OGE proposal for 2025 provides for additional capitalization for the National Employment Fund, in more than 21 billion kwanzas, in addition to 382 billion kwanzas, to capitalize public financial institutions allowing granting more credit to family farming.
The Finance portfolio holder highlighted that for investments in the Lobito Corridor, a railway link that connects Angola to neighboring countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, the Government will continue in 2025 to fundamentally engage the private sector.
"At some point, the State will also have to assume its responsibilities, but all new initiatives that can be carried out, with greater engagement from the private sector, will be welcome", she stressed.
"We are capitalizing on the fact that there is a lot of appetite from international financial institutions, even those that provide guarantees, to provide funds, to guarantee operations," she added.
The minister highlighted that, this year, Angola took on less debt than expected, because the financial cost is too high, but the country expects that financial conditions will be better, being able to obtain financing in external markets under better conditions.
In turn, the Minister of Planning, Victor Hugo Guilherme, said that the government is aware that the current level of growth is very small compared to the population growth forecast.
For 2025, the government predicts a growth rate of 4.1 percent, said Victor Hugo Guilherme, highlighting that the ideal would be parity between the population growth rate and the growth of the Gross Domestic Product, which does not currently occur.
Regarding the inflation rate, the Minister of Planning highlighted that the average forecast for the period is around 26.9 percent and for 2025 19.3 percent.
"But even so, we are still at very high levels, we think that, with other measures, especially measures to stimulate the economy, we can ensure that production can increase and prices can decrease", he stressed.
