The Angolan Association of Road Freight Transport (ATROMA) welcomed today the new fee and levy regime for cross-border road transport with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), considering it a step towards harmonization and a deterrent to “illegal charges” imposed by the neighboring country.
According to ATROMA president António Gavião Neto, the directive issued by the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT), which establishes a fee and levy system applicable to services provided by the Angolan state in this activity at the borders with DR Congo—effective from July 1st—was the result of the association’s complaints.
“We have witnessed the payment of customs fees outside of what was agreed upon between the states [of Angola and DR Congo], where unfortunately Angolan road transporters were subjected to illegal charges, a practice of non-tariff barriers imposed by DR Congo,” Gavião Neto told Lusa today.
The road transport businessman explained that ATROMA’s complaints about the “abusive” customs fees charged to Angolan transporters entering DR Congo en route to Angola’s province of Cabinda prompted a response from the Angolan authorities.
The Angolan authorities, he continued, understood that there should be reciprocal customs fees between the two states, to harmonize the system and address what he described as the DR Congo government’s “not very friendly” practices.
In a statement, ANTT noted that the measure stems from a presidential decree passed in July 2024, which establishes the legal framework for charging fees and levies in the context of cross-border transport with DR Congo. This was further complemented by a joint executive decree issued in April 2025.
The new regime applies to all cross-border road transport operators of passengers and goods transiting or operating within national territory, regardless of whether DR Congo is the final destination, the document reads.
Due to the geographic discontinuity of the province of Cabinda, most of the essential consumer goods destined for that northern Angolan region are transported by trucks that must cross DR Congo’s territory.
According to previous statements by ATROMA, Angolan truck drivers reported paying up to $4,000 at DR Congo customs posts, compared to the $100 paid by Congolese drivers at Angola’s border. The association had organized a strike in 2024 to protest this disparity.
The joint decree from the Ministries of Finance, Transport, Public Works, Urban Planning, and Housing—published in April—stipulates that the new cross-border transport fees with DR Congo will range from $200 to $3,000.
António Gavião Neto also stated that the new fees would strengthen the national treasury’s capacity, “since the Angolan state was losing significant annual revenue in the order of millions of dollars,” while also “easing” the financial burden on transport companies.
According to the presidential decree from July 2024, accessed by Lusa today, 40% of the revenue collected through this mechanism will go to the National Treasury, with the remainder allocated to the entity responsible for providing the services. Of this remaining portion, 10% will be earmarked to subsidize Angolan transport operators.
Source: Lusa
