Up to 60,000 civil servants could lose their jobs under IMF accord

A compromise agreement signed by the Angolan government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) means 60,000 public servants could be out of work by next year, LUSA reported on Tuesday. According to a reform programme document issued by the Angolan government, it needs to reduce its workforce by 20 percent, a second programme will promote self-employment and the third training. According to the accord signed with the IMF, the 2000 financial programme should benefit from the increase in petroleum revenues and declining military expenditure. In the document sent to the IMF, the Angolan government announced an increase of US $450 million in petroleum revenues, besides US $27 million dollars from the diamond sector. Luanda said in the same document that it will be eventually privatising the management of Customs in order to improve the revenue collection system.