Africa-Press – Angola. The head of the National Land Transportation Agency (ANTT) argued that the Angolan government had to find a balance in adjusting public transportation prices so as not to harm either companies or citizens.
“It was a reasonable adjustment, because it could have been more, [so] it was made based on this adjustment in the price of fuel,” said Énio Costa, chairman of the board of directors of ANTT, when questioned by Lusa about society’s reaction to the new prices established for public transport.
At issue are the new tariffs for urban public road passenger transport, adjusted after the increase, eight days ago, in the price of diesel, which went from 300 to 400 kwanzas per liter (0.28 to 0.37 euros), as part of the Government’s gradual withdrawal of the fuel subsidy, which began in 2023.
According to Énio Costa, the country faces challenges, and companies have a cost structure that they need to offset with current fuel prices.
“And it was basically with this in mind that this adjustment was made,” said the official, emphasizing that it was important not to harm companies, otherwise they would face “situations of loss-making companies, which is also not ideal.”
Énio Costa, who was speaking on the sidelines of the 2nd Transport and Logistics Forum, organized by Jornal Expansão, with the theme “The New Airport as a Pole of Economic Development for the Country”, said that it is not a major adjustment, “but what is necessary to be made” to achieve a balance between companies and users of these services.
Regarding the price increase, Angolans have expressed various reactions, considering the tariffs set by the Government to be high, and a demonstration has been announced for this Saturday to protest the current prices.
When asked about these reactions, Énio Costa considered that “it is normal for there to be this type of positioning, however, it was necessary, to have a balance between families, who need to travel, and also the companies themselves, for the normal functioning of this activity.”
ANTT increased the price of the collective taxi service (occasional passenger transport) from 200 (0.19 euros) to 300 kwanzas (0.28 euros) and the fare for the urban bus service from 150 (0.13 euros) to 200 kwanzas, leaving the tariff adjustments to be made to the intermunicipal passenger service to the discretion of the local government bodies of the State.
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