Africa-Press – Angola. The president of the National Assembly, Carolina Cerqueira, announced, this Tuesday, in Luanda, that the State General Budget Proposal (OGE) for the 2024 economic year will contribute to improving the country’s situation, especially the most disadvantaged families.
In an interview, regarding the delivery to Parliament of this management instrument that contains a detailed forecast of the State’s revenues and expenses, Carolina Cerqueira praised the measures to increase public investment and reduce public debt which, in his view, could stimulate development in the long term.
The leader of the Angolan parliament also shares the Executive’s concern about the difficult social situation that afflicts the population and particularly families, hoping that the proposal under consideration for 2024 may, in fact, contribute to improving the country’s situation.
Carolina Cerqueira highlighted that the legislative body recognizes the importance of the Executive pursuing the strategy of controlling the deficit and the aim of fulfilling public debt service.
“The country is made up of small businesses, people, young people, citizens and disadvantaged populations, therefore it is very important, from our point of view, to reinforce the need to guarantee the articulation between measures of a cyclical nature with those of a structural nature” , he pointed out.
The president of the National Assembly considers it important to adapt a set of measures to the needs of families, which are currently emerging.
He recognized that the Covid-19 pandemic had increased unemployment and reduced productivity across the country, reinforcing that the financial shock of 2022 resulted in a heavy exchange rate devaluation that had an impact on an acceleration of inflation.
“High unemployment and the lack of a basic food basket are factors of poverty that affect a large part of the population. We consider it urgent to take short-term measures aimed at increasing employment and private investment, without forgetting the monetary support from Kwenda, for example, and other programs to combat poverty and the most disadvantaged families, who hope that their social condition can improve”, he expressed.
Carolina Cerqueira hopes that the State General Budget Proposal (OGE) “can address our concerns as legislators”.
For him, the Proposal could strengthen the income of families and workers, through the increase in public service salaries and the economy and a stronger focus on employment and the continued protection of the most vulnerable.
The OGE 2024 Proposal, delivered to Parliament, by the Minister of State for Economic Coordination, José de Lima Massano, in the company of the Ministers of Finance, Vera Daves, and Economy, Mário Caetano de Sousa, responded to the parliamentary tradition of giving entry into the hemicycle on October 31st, as established by law.
José de Lima Massano, who is making his debut in delivering the OGE Proposal to the Legislative body, considered the document balanced, as it seeks to meet the objectives and goals contained in the National Development Plan (PND).
In this budget proposal for 2024, the social area has a weight of 20.1 percent, corresponding to 4.9 billion kwanzas.
Defense, Security and Public Order comprises 7.1 percent, corresponding to 1.7 billion Kwanzas, while the economic part has 4.9 percent corresponding to 1.2 billion Kwanzas.
The OGE-2024 proposal will be discussed and voted on in general in the coming days by the Plenary of the National Assembly, to then move on to discussion in detail, with the hearing of social partners and civil society, using a calendar that will be established for the Economy Commission and NA Finances and final global vote.
The execution of the document is scheduled for January 2024.
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