Despite the objective of reorganizing the sector, the absence of specific regulation is raising concerns among industrial operators, as it may lead to overly broad interpretations of the law and disrupt supply chains in an industry that is already export-oriented. The entry into force of Executive Decree No. 7/26 of January 9, which prohibits the activity of weighing ferrous and non-ferrous metals, has introduced a profound change in a sector marked by informality, while also posing risks to the manufacturing industry that already operates legally and exports outside Angola.
The decree excludes from its scope duly licensed industrial units—such as steelworks, metallurgical plants, and other manufacturing industries—allowing them to continue operating provided they can prove the lawful origin of the materials used.
In practice, these companies are now required to strengthen transparency and traceability mechanisms, under penalty that failure to prove the origin of scrap may constitute grounds for reporting to the competent authorities and for the initiation of administrative or criminal proceedings.
The decision, announced by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, comes in response to the growth of vandalism of public infrastructure and the informal trade in metals, practices that have caused significant losses to the State, interruptions of essential services, and increased risks to public safety.
The decree also mandates the immediate revocation of all commercial licenses granted to this activity, covering individuals and legal entities, informal weighing houses, scrap dealers, intermediaries, yards, warehouses, parks, and unauthorized depots.
Despite the goal of reorganizing the sector, the lack of specific regulation is a source of concern for industrial operators. The director-general of Fabrimetal, Luís Diogo, argues that clear complementary regulation is necessary to avoid unjustified blockages in the acquisition of raw materials by companies operating within the law.
According to the executive, after the decree came into force, the main challenge has been the lack of coordination among agents on the ground, which may generate excessive interpretations of the law and disrupt supply chains.
For example, last weekend several trucks transporting scrap to industries in Luanda were blocked, despite this not being provided for in the law.
Luís Diogo stresses that Fabrimetal has never purchased materials from informal weighing houses, working only with suppliers that guarantee product origin and limiting itself to direct contracts with institutional holders of materials, such as entities in the oil and military sectors.
Even so, he warns that without well-defined operational rules, the new law may become an additional obstacle for an industry that already exports metal products and faces high logistical and financing costs.
From the authorities’ side, the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) defends the measure as essential to protecting the public interest and preparing the sector for stricter regulation. SIC spokesperson Manuel Halaiwa states that the informal activity of weighing houses has contributed to the high level of vandalism in the country, resulting in the arrest of 295 individuals, including 66 foreigners. He called for a culture of reporting and assured that enforcement against scrap dealers and illegal activities will be “relentless.”
Residents Report Presence of Authorities in Neighborhoods
The ban jeopardizes the livelihood of thousands of citizens who depended on scrap sales as a source of income. In peripheral neighborhoods of Luanda, it was common to see children, young people, and adults collecting cables, metal parts, and other materials for later weighing and sale.
Residents report that the presence of authorities has been visible in neighborhoods such as Golf 2 and Soba Capassa, both in the municipality of Kilamba Kiaxi, and in the São João neighborhood, on Cayaya and Curitchiba streets, in the municipality of Hoji-Ya-Henda—areas where weighing houses were said to be widespread.
Pedro Bunga, a resident of Soba Capassa, acknowledges that many people resort to selling scrap as a means of survival but criticizes the destruction of public property. “We cannot destroy what was created for our own good.”
Source: Expansão
