(Ecofin Agency) - Comforted by performances achieved this year, the Angolan government is seeking to reach zero deficit for the budget in 2020, the Budget Secretary, Aia-Eza da Silva (pictured), said on Tuesday.
In an address to Parliament this week, President Joao Lourenço said that the 2019 budget “is currently in surplus, enabling less use of public debt.” He said the oil sector is expected to grow by 1.5% next year, up the negative -5.2% in 2019, driven by the resumption of production in the Rala, Bagre and Albacore fields of Block 2/05 of the Agogo field, Phase 1 of Block 15/06 and the Gimboa Noroeste (GimNW) project of Block 4/04. 
Regarding the non-oil sector, it is expected to increase by 1.9% thanks to reforms implemented to diversify an oil-dependent economy. According to the International Monetary Fund, Angola should record a 1.2% growth next year, compared with the negative -0.3% this year.
Moutiou Adjibi Nourou