Angolan businesspeople welcomed on Tuesday the measure suspending import licensing for wheat and corn flour, refined oils, and other products, considering the government initiative a step toward boosting domestic production and productivity.
According to Gilberto Simão, president of the Association of the Baking and Pastry Industries of Angola (AIPPA), the measure “is to be praised” as it reflects “nationalism and patriotism.” In remarks to Lusa, Simão praised the President of the Republic for the initiative and the Minister of Industry and Commerce for his “courage,” stating that the measure should have been implemented long ago, as it supports economic diversification and the growth of domestic production and productivity.
The businessman, involved in the primary, industrial, and commercial sectors, added that the government’s move should also curb the “unfair competition” he claims exists with imported corn.
“I have contacts with large corn producers who often end up with silos full of corn they can’t sell because of unfair competition from imported corn. So, it’s a good measure,” he insisted.
Last month, Angola’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce ordered the suspension of import licenses for wheat flour, corn flour, refined sunflower, palm and soybean oils, school and professional uniforms (including military and police), confectionery products, plasterboard panels, and hospital consumables.
According to the directive dated April 30, the measure stems from a presidential decree that approved the Legal Framework for the Promotion of National Production, “as a tool of economic policy aimed at significantly increasing the domestic supply of widely consumed goods, with a gradual reduction of imports and diversification of exports.”
AIPPA’s president noted that globalization is an “economic phenomenon that prevents Angola from producing and diversifying its economy,” especially since oil — the country’s main revenue source — provides immediate cash flow. He praised the measure as a step toward economic diversification.
Simão also called for measures to regulate wheat imports, noting that Angola spends between USD 300 and 400 million annually importing the grain. He argued that the country does not produce enough wheat to meet even 10% of domestic demand, “because import lobbies prevent it.”
The Ministry’s order was also welcomed by José Severino, president of the Association of Industrialists of Angola (AIA), who said the Angolan government is committed to protecting national production.
The businessman noted that defending local production involves using all available tools, such as the current directive, but stressed that it represents a suspension, not a prohibition.
“Note that we’re talking about a suspension — it’s not a ban. The way the directive was presented might make it seem like a radical prohibition, but it’s not. We’ve already discussed it with the minister, since the AIA opposes bans (…),” he told Lusa.
Severino added that the suspension should not block import processes already underway, emphasizing that some imports are “useful to curb potential price speculation and the low quality of locally produced goods.”
“When we try to protect our production, we must avoid creating the impression that we’re sanctioning others. Exporters, countries, and governments should not perceive this as punitive. Angola does not sanction,” concluded the AIA leader.
Source: Lusa
