Luanda, ANGOLA, December 12 - The ruling MPLA party has accused the opposition of disrupting the process aimed to improve the social conditions of Angolans due to repeatedly refuse to vote in favor of the General Budget State.,

The accusation was made by the leader of the Parliamentary group of MPLA Américo Cuononoca, who slammed those refusing to vote for the budget, the main tool of macroeconomic management of the country.

Whoever repeatedly refuses to vote is disrupting the Government efforts to develop Angola and deny the improvement of the social conditions of the Angolans, he said.

The 2020 OGE, which foresees revenues and expenditures of Kz 15.9 billion, 4.5 billion more than in 2019, was approved with 132 votes in favor (MPLA), 50 against (UNITA and CASA-CE) and two (2) abstentions of the PRS, in extraordinary plenary of the National Assembly.

According to him, voting against the the general budget demonstrates that the opposition does not want education, health, electricity, roads and the satisfaction of the stressing needs of the Angolan people.

"There is no record in the history of this Parliament that the opposition voted in favor of a State Budget (OGE)," he recalled.

He clarified that, paradoxically, "the same opposition that today denies and rejects the budget  tomorrow will appear cynically, demanding the result of development programmes and projects that did not agree and denied."

Américo Cuononoca noted that his party is aware of the tough times the economy is going through, coupled with the domestic debt commitments, which acquit large sums, but assumed with great responsibility and sense of state.

Opposition reactions  

UNITA, the largest opposition party, has justified its vote against alleging that 2020 Budget does not have the tools to consolidate macroeconomic stability and start the recovery of the country's economic growth.

In turn, CASA-CE argued that the approved budget “is unable and inadequate to solve the most pressing problems that afflict the Angolan people.

On the other hand, the PRS understands that, although the OGE 2020 has increased by 53.5% from the 2019 budget value, it does not directly affect the possibilities for development and investment of basic social functions, given that this increase will largely offset public debt services.

"Angolan families will continue to feel the effects of this economic downturn and their purchasing power will further decline," he said.