Africa-Press – Cape verde. The MpD stated today that the State Budget (OE) for 2025 is committed to the sustainable development of Cape Verde, with clear responses to the challenges that the country faces in the coming years. The PAICV, on the other hand, classified the document as being misaligned with the Strategic Development Plans (PEDS) and generating uncertainty for the country’s economic future. Along the same lines, the UCID considered the OE 2025 a plan that fails to reflect the appropriate policies for all sectors of activity and that does not ensure the availability of resources and their correct application.
During the discussion of the document in the National Assembly, the parliamentary leader of the MpD, Celso Ribeiro, argued that the budget proposal has as its central objective the improvement of the living conditions of Cape Verdeans, especially aiming at tax relief for families, companies and the increase in disposable income, including young people and pensioners.
“This is a budget that focuses on people, with priority given to social, environmental and territorial cohesion, sustainability and inclusion”, he stressed.
Regarding the valorisation of public administration, Ribeiro argued that the budget represents an important step towards improving the careers and working conditions of civil servants. The MpD also stressed that, despite global uncertainties, such as the war in Ukraine and climate change, the budget was drawn up with a “commitment to stability” and prepared for future challenges.
“It is not a budget of rupture, but rather of stability”, he stated.
PAICV
According to the PAICV deputy, Julião Varela, it is misleading to say that the Budget will be financed 82% with endogenous revenues, as he believes that there is no measure that suggests that there will be an extraordinary increase in endogenous revenues of around 20 million contos.
This is because, for example, the average increase in domestic revenue has been only 10 million contos per year, making the target set “unrealistic”.
The PAICV accuses the Budget of being electoralist, stating that the MpD left the inclusion of many commitments made to the electorate to win the elections eight years ago until its last budget.
Among the promises, it mentions investments such as the Praia Reference Hospital, the Santo Antão Airport and the Praia x Tarrafal expressway, projects that, however, have no indication of being completed, serving, in its view, only to announce that they are in the negotiation process.
Julião Varela also questioned the increase in acquisition and construction expenses, which went from 7.7 to 13.5 million contos, urging the Government to clarify what it will acquire and what it will build with this amount.
The PAICV reaffirmed its dissatisfaction with the country’s economic and social situation after almost a decade of MpD governance, pointing out that the party will leave a country with greater inequality, more poverty and a high cost of living.
“With this budget, the MpD is saying goodbye to governance, leaving behind solemn commitments that it presented to Cape Verdeans and that will not be fulfilled”, he concluded.
UCID
In his opening speech, the president of UCID, João Santos Luís, said that the 2025 State Budget proposal presented by the Government “does not take into due account the promises” made to the population, particularly with regard to infrastructure and measures that would impact economic growth and the quality of life of Cape Verdean families.
“We are facing a budget that neglects the increase in productivity”, he stated, pointing out that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has been warning the country about this issue for several years.
For the leader of UCID, the increase in public debt is another alarming point, since the debt stock is expected to increase from 298 million contos in 2023 to 306 million contos in 2024, and rise to 312 million in 2025, which, he believes, will have a significant and negative impact on attracting investment and access to credit for priority investments.
“Therefore, it will continue to rise, with the external debt stock in 2024 reaching 206 million contos. The 2025 State Budget clearly reflects a wasteful and electoral instrument”, he declared. João Santos Luís also criticized what he considers to be poor management of resources allocated to travel and government expenses estimated at more than one million contos.
The UCID also raised questions about the unresolved debts owed to former workers of EMPA, a company that closed in 2003, and the situation of workers at Justino Lopes, in the municipality of Santa Cruz. According to João Santos Luís, the Budget “successfully ignores” these issues, leaving many workers and former military personnel “in precarious situations”.
For More News And Analysis About Cape verde Follow Africa-Press
