Luanda, March 13, 2025 (Lusa) - Angolan Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Associação Mãos Livre expressed "indignation " on Thursday at the acts of "corruption, immorality, and impunity" that it says are taking place in the Angolan Ministry of Finance and the tax authorities, calling for reforms and the resignation of the minister.
The NGO, in a "public letter against corruption in the Ministry of Finance," released today, expressed "indignation at the scale of corruption in the General Tax Administration and the impunity and immorality that is taking place in the Ministry of Finance," reflected in the recent reappointment of the General Tax Administration management.
For the Angolan NGO that defends and promotes human rights, the current management team of the AGT, a body under the Ministry of Finance, "has failed in its responsibility, allowing the embezzlement of more than seven billion kwanzas [seven million euros] from taxpayers".
"We understand that the monstrosity of corruption in an unprecedented way in the public administration is increasingly opening windows of obstacles so that changes can be promoted," reads the letter, which also advocates reforms to change the political and legal system, “closing the loopholes that allow corruption through which the corrupt achieve impunity”.
In recent months, senior AGT officials have recently been arrested for their alleged involvement in a fraudulent scheme to divert seven billion kwanzas in Value-Added Tax (VAT) refunds.
At the end of February, Angola's finance minister apologised to Angolan taxpayers and citizens for the harmful acts carried out by public managers, saying that the guilty will be held accountable and that the government remains "relentless" against corruption.
"We will continue to work to strengthen our institutions internally and detect these practices as quickly as possible, also with the moralisation of public officials. We intend to continue denouncing all irregular practices as a sign that the government remains implacable against corruption and embezzlement," said Vera Daves in the National Assembly (parliament).
The government recently reappointed the chairman of AGT's board of directors, José Leiria. It appointed three new directors to that body, according to a ministerial order of 10 March, quoted by the Angolan press.
Today, the association also called on President João Lourenço and the National Assembly to promote the structural changes needed to prevent and repress corruption and civil and criminal liability for the officials involved in the embezzlement of AGT funds.
The NGO also urged the president to exonerate the finance minister and the AGT team, who were allegedly involved in embezzling public institution funds in "defence of public morality."
DAS/ADB // ADB.
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