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Angola will issue a decree in the near future to increase fees for Congolese truck drivers, Transport Minister Ricardo de Abreu announced yesterday in Luanda, in light of the “very erratic actions” of the country’s government.
From Luanda to Cabinda, passing through the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Angolan truck drivers end up paying nearly 4 million kwanzas in tolls and fees collected at various control points, while vehicles from neighbouring countries only pay US$50 to enter Angola, which represents a loss of more than 3 million kwanzas for our country.
Minister Ricardo de Abreu, speaking at the fourth meeting of the Economic Committee of the Council of Ministers, said the improper charges imposed on Angolan transporters by the DRC authorities were “very erratic behaviour”.
The director said that dialogue had been held with representatives of truck drivers and freight transport associations affected by the price differential restrictions.
Therefore, “it was decided to issue a joint executive order between the Ministries of Transportation, Finance and Public Works in order to create the same conditions for our transporters, within the scope of reciprocity”, he reiterated.
Ricardo de Abreu said Congolese truck drivers would be treated the same as Angolans to see if the behavior of the DRC authorities improved.
The president of the Angolan Truck Drivers Association (ACA), Sabino da Silva, expressed satisfaction with the matter, stressing that he had been discussing the issue for several months and had raised the concern with the executive.
He insisted that to enter Angola, Congolese truck drivers must show their passports and pay a visa fee equivalent to US$ 50. At a meeting of the Ministries of Transport, Finance and Public Works, it was learned that attempts had been made to negotiate with Congolese counterparts, but the DRC did not respond, so reciprocal costs were required.
Regarding the number of trucks entering the DRC, the official said they are waiting for the progress of providing parking spaces in several provinces to maintain control over the flow of truck drivers on this route.
“These spaces will allow us to maintain control over the cargo that is transported from Angola to the Democratic Republic of Congo and vice versa,” he said. Meanwhile, the Angolan National Road Institute (INEA) is studying the issue of scales to regulate the weight of cargo on trucks, whose implementation would safeguard the length of the road.
It will allow for eight hours a day instead of 24-hour traffic bans as excessive traffic and congestion lead to damage on roads. “We have identified certain locations such as customs posts where there should be scales so that trucks can be weighed and heavy fines will be imposed on those who do not adhere to the prescribed weights,” he said.
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