Oil Revenues in Angola: Much More Information But Not Enough Transparency

Published:

Significant gaps in the data published by the Angolan government about its earnings from the oil industry undermine its attempts to shed a reputation for corruption, says this new study by Global Witness and the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa – Angola (OSISA-Angola)

Angola now publishes detailed reports about its earnings from oil, but these reports are not reliable enough to ensure transparency for Angola’s citizens.

As a poor developing country recovering from civil war, Angola relies heavily on revenues from oil which accounts for two-thirds of the government’s income. But civil society groups, the International Monetary Fund and other observers have long raised concerns about lack of transparency in the government’s management of these revenues.

A well-documented history of severe official corruption in Angola has meant that revenues which could have been used to promote the country’s development have been siphoned off or wasted.

Global Witness has published a series of reports since 1999 raising concerns about corruption in the oil sector.

This report assesses the extensive official data published by the Angolan government in order to answer the question: do these data provide concerned Angolan citizens with a comprehensive and reliable picture of how much revenue the government earns from oil? Without such a picture, it is impossible for citizens to monitor the flow of revenues and press the Angolan government to use these funds in their long-term interest.

Download the full report: Oil Revenues in Angola

Download Resource

Related