Luanda, Nov. 20, 2025 (Lusa) - Angola's Ministry of Labour said on Thursday that companies with proven financial capacity are requesting to pay salaries below the national minimum wage and warned of sanctions of up to 25 average salaries in the event of negligence or serious non-compliance.
The National Labour Directorate of the Ministry of Public Administration, Labour and Social Security (MAPTSS) has so far received 69 requests from companies to pay wages below the national minimum. Still, only one has received a favourable opinion.
According to the National Director of Labour, Blanche Chendovava, most of the remaining companies have submitted non-compliant documents. In contrast, others, after analysing their financial statements, can pay the national minimum wage.
"The companies are requesting authorisation to pay wages below the minimum, but there is a series of documents that they must gather to prove their financial incapacity, and 49 of these 69 companies have not gathered all the documentation," the official told Lusa during the launch ceremony of the Fair Wage Campaign.
The campaign, officially launched today in Luanda and with inspections taking place between 24 November and 18 December, aims to ensure the effective application of the national minimum wage, which, since 16 September, has risen from 70,000 kwanzas (€66) to 100,000 kwanzas (€94) and 50,000 kwanzas for micro-businesses and start-ups.
Companies that can't afford to pay the minimum wage must request authorisation from MAPTSS to pay less than the required amount.
Only one company that requested authorisation to pay below the national minimum wage received a favourable opinion, said Blanche Chendovava, pointing out that all companies that present proof of financial incapacity to pay the minimum wage will be given temporary authorisation to do so for a period of 12 months.
Promoting voluntary compliance with the payment of the national minimum wage, based on social awareness, mutual respect and valuing the human being are among the aims of this campaign, whose inspection actions should focus on commerce, industry, the provision of services, specifically education, property security and cleaning services, stressed the General Labour Inspectorate (IGT).
More than 1,500 offences linked to non-payment of the national minimum wage have been recorded in the last ten months in Angola, the MAPTSS announced today, saying that it is "relentless" in its inspections.
Leandro Cardoso, deputy inspector-general of the IGT, said that offences related to non-payment of the national minimum wage would be punished with fines of between 18 and 21 times the average wage if committed negligently, and between 22 and 25 times the average wage in the company if the offence was serious.
DAS/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
