Luanda, July 4, 2025 (Lusa) - The president of the New Alliance of Angolan Taxi Drivers Association (ANATA) expressed concern on Friday about the increase in the price of diesel, a measure he considered necessary but which will “require taxi drivers to adapt and become more resourceful”.
The Angolan government announced on Thursday that the price of a litre of diesel will rise from today, the second increase this year, from the current 300 kwanzas (about €0.28) to 400 kwanzas (approximately €0.37).
“We received the news with great concern and sadness because, although we recognize the government’s stated need to withdraw fuel subsidies gradually, we as taxi drivers, who are dependent on fuel, especially diesel, oppose the measure because we believe it will exacerbate costs and increasingly strain taxi drivers,” Francisco Paciente told Lusa.
For the president of ANATA, this measure “will gradually kill small private initiatives, both in transport and in other productive activities such as agriculture and fishing, because they also depend on this fuel.”
“We seek greater satisfaction. As the largest platform for guidance and defence of taxi drivers, we are deeply committed to improving the economic and social situation of the profession,” he said.
According to Francisco Paciente, a meeting of leaders is taking place today to begin listening to the concerns of taxi drivers, stressing that "the government can focus more on the socio-economic condition of this class."
"It appears more focused on raising prices, creating inflation, and causing difficulties for the people themselves, and we are working to address this concern," he noted.
The association leader stressed that a taxi fare increase remains a possibility, a “reciprocal” move, not only for taxis but in all areas and products, as “diesel has a very big impact compared to petrol”.
“That is why the rise in diesel will effectively affect prices in the country (...) I must say that this will indeed change the price of taxi fares,” he said.
According to Francisco Paciente, the government is meeting with the associations today, after the diesel price increase, and the leaders are focused on their members, instead of sharing insights beyond what is already public knowledge.”
The statement from the Petroleum Derivatives Regulatory Institute (IRDP) said that the prices of other products under the fixed price regime, such as petrol, kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas, remain unchanged.
The rise in diesel and petrol prices in Angola since the beginning of the gradual withdrawal of fuel subsidies in 2023 reflects a progressive adjustment process implemented by the Angolan government to align prices with market values by the end of 2025.
Since June 2023, the price of petrol has risen from 160 kwanzas (about €0.15) to 300 kwanzas (€0.28) per litre, an increase of 87.5%, while diesel has risen from €0.13 to 400 kwanzas (€0.37) per litre, corresponding to an increase of more than 120%.
Since the beginning of the year, the price of diesel rose by 50% in March to 300 kwanzas, and has now seen a further increase of 100 kwanzas per litre.
In 2022, fuel subsidies totalled 1.98 billion kwanzas (approximately €1.84 billion), with the government expecting annual savings of around 400 billion kwanzas (approximately € 372 million) upon their elimination, which could occur by the end of 2025.
The subsidy withdrawal policy aims to reduce the burden of public spending and redirect resources to priority sectors such as health and education.
NME/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
