Africa-Press – Angola. The numbers are staggering. The government spent over 134.2 billion kwanzas on travel and transportation, 50.8 billion kwanzas more than planned. Of the 140.8 billion kwanzas budgeted, 102.9 billion kwanzas were spent on the Integrated Program for Local Development and Poverty Alleviation.
The Government spent around 160 billion kwanzas (almost 180 million USD) on travel and vehicle purchases, Novo Jornal calculated based on the 2024 General State Account (CGE). In travel and transportation costs alone, expenses amounted to more than 134.2 billion Kz (around 150 million USD) – 61% above the just over 83.3 billion Kz (more than 90 million USD) budgeted.
Added to the bill is 25.5 billion Kz (around 30 million USD) used to purchase 734 new vehicles for the public administration and state-owned companies to reinforce the State’s vehicle fleet, which already has almost 72 thousand vehicles valued at 218 billion Kz.
The total expenditure on travel and vehicles exceeds investments in the Integrated Local Development and Poverty Alleviation Program (PIDLCP), which reached 102.9 billion Kz, although the government budgeted more than 140.8 billion Kz. This contrasts with the João Lourenço government’s intention to reduce extreme poverty in the country from the current 31% to 28% by 2027. Poverty is one of Angola’s main problems. According to the World Poverty Clock, more than 11.6 million Angolans live in extreme poverty. By 2027, this number could exceed 12 million.
The 160 billion Kz spent on travel and vehicles is almost 14 times higher than the 11.47 billion Kz spent by the Ministry of Social Action, Family and Promotion of Women (MASFAMU) in 2024. The amount is equivalent to more than double the amounts spent on the Expansion and Modernization of the Education System, which of the 208.4 billion Kz budgeted, liquidated only 62.9 billion Kz (30% of the budget).
The Road Fund is preparing to spend more than $850,000 on eight vehicles, three of which are luxury vehicles.
The Road and Emergency Works Fund (FROE), overseen by the Ministry of Public Works and Territorial Planning, published an advertisement on the Public Procurement Portal for the acquisition of eight vehicles, three of which are luxury vehicles, Novo Jornal has verified.
The announcement of the opening of a dynamic electronic process for the acquisition of these vehicles, valued at a total of 800 million kwanzas (approximately US$867,000), was published on the public procurement portal.
The budget for this operation, according to the document seen by Novo Jornal, is included in the 2025 General State Budget (OGE) under the “current actions” program and depends on the Fund’s own resources.
The acquisition of these eight new vehicles, according to the document authorizing the auction, “is essential to ensure the normal functioning of the activities” of the Road and Emergency Works Fund.
According to the FROE, “the vehicles currently in operation are already fully depreciated and incur high recurring maintenance costs, as well as the replacement of spare parts and fuel.”
Such expenses, the announcement states, “compromise operational efficiency, resulting in an inefficient use of public resources.
” Replacing “the obsolete fleet” with new vehicles will allow, according to the FROE, “greater reliability and efficiency in the execution of the Fund’s responsibilities.”
Every year, the Angolan state adds several vehicles to its extensive fleet, which includes more than 700 luxury cars priced between USD 90,000 and USD 290,000 each, allocated to public servants including ministers, deputy ministers, deputies, judges, provincial governors and their deputies, chairmen of boards of directors of companies in the Public Enterprise Sector (SEP), and even managers with management positions, according to the weekly newspaper Expansão, based on the organizational status of these state institutions.
“By luxury cars, we mean vehicles that cost at least USD 90,000, equivalent to about 45 million kwanzas, an amount that would buy an apartment in Kilamba. These vehicles come in different makes and models, but they also define the category of the public servant. In other words, the higher the position, the higher the value of the vehicle,” the newspaper noted.
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