The OGE law proposal was definitively approved this Thursday in the National Assembly with 119 votes in favor from the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the Humanist Party of Angola (PHA), 78 votes against from the National Union for the Independence of Angola (UNITA) and four abstentions.
The Social Renewal Party (PRS) and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA), both in opposition, abstained from voting on this Budget, which estimates revenue and sets expenses at the same value, 34.63 billion kwanzas.
For the MPLA, the OGE 2025 is an "essential instrument to promote macroeconomic stability, foster sustainable development and meet the most urgent needs of the population".
"We voted in favor because we believe that a significant increase in financing for education and health will be crucial to guarantee the improvement of the quality of fundamental education and primary health care, fundamental areas for human development", said deputy Idalina Valente in the declaration of vote for your party.
UNITA, in justifying its vote against the State Budget for 2025, considered it "unacceptable" for the government to take over and disseminate a program that indicates a high financial and economic cost for the country.
According to deputy Faustino Mumbika, the authorities are preparing the celebrations of 50 years of independence, which will be celebrated on November 11, 2025, "more to please foreign guests", in which "hundreds of millions of dollars must be spent without it being clear in the Budget, in a context where the majority goes hungry and many eat from the garbage".
In turn, PHA deputy Fernando Dinis said that his party voted in favor because the OGE is an essential instrument for the management of public resources and for national development, expressing concern, however, about the "disproportionate allocation" of resources in central state bodies in Luanda.
Nimi-a-Simbi, FNLA deputy, signaled that his party abstained because the OGE for next year "will not solve the great social difficulties facing Angolans".
For the PRS, deputy Benedito Daniel spoke, considering that the country is struggling with a worsening of economic conditions and an increase in the risk of poverty, noting that the country will, in 2025, have around 17 million Angolans on the poverty line.
"The OGE does not predict how it will deal with this increase (in poverty), whether it will solve it or reduce it", justifying the abstention.
This OGE 2025, which estimates revenues and sets expenses at the same value of 34.63 billion kwanzas, foresees a high debt service that will absorb almost 50 percent of budget expenditure, totaling 16.5 billion kwanzas, being that 12.45 billion kwanzas are allocated to debt repayment.
The Minister of State for Economic Coordination, José de Lima Massano, previously signaled that this budget includes concrete actions to protect families, income and promote economic growth, having highlighted that the Government will reinforce the School Lunch Program adopting a National School Meal Plan, which will have a budget allocation of 450 billion kwanzas.
