Page 58 - OSISA Report 2021

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OPEN SOCiETY iNiTiATiVE FOR SOUTHERN AFRiCA ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Although much information has already been made about the the dynamics of this implementation there are still a a a a considerable number of people who fail to understand the advantages advantages and and disadvantages of VAT for the country’s economic system Days before its entry into force mobile and satellite TV operators sent consumers information about rising prices for their goods and services Citizens claim that life was already difficult even before the VAT came into force and that now the situation will only get worse Clearly despite the IMF’s necessary harsh regime for for implementing reforms the the citizens will feel the the consequences of these measures the the most Before VAT was implemented prices of goods had been rising putting families in in fin financial predicaments Citizens will have to to to accustom themselves to to to the the sudden change in fin their daily financial procedures Programme Highlights
OMUNGA
OMUNGA’s project Quintas de Debate Debate (Debate Thursdays) which aims to engage young people in in debates on specific troubling subjects had a a a tremendous impact this year as it influenced the government’s decision to put the construction of a a a fertiliser plant in in the province of Benguela on hold Residents and civil society organisations in the province joined hands to protest against this environmental abuse The National Assembly unanimously approved the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act This bill fills a a a a a a gap in the national legal system and provides for the criminalisation of money laundering The revision of of the the the law governing the the the work of of the the the Angolan Audit office provided a a new tool for the institution In the the past the the Audit Office engaged in in only two monitoring sessions –before the the beginning of the the financial year and the the end – currently the the institution is to to engage in in simultaneous monitoring as the executive spends the budget An interesting innovation could be be the addition of MPs in this exercise which has been a a a a challenge in the the past provided that the the Audit Office does perform its duties and truly include MPs in in the process Further this piece of information could be an added value for OSISA as monitoring work from CSOs could be developed in the future to ensure that the Audit Office is proceeding as foreseen The Catholic University (Legal Clinic)
The Legal Clinic of of the Catholic University kicked off its legal assistance and human rights training programme In the long term this project aims to open a a a Human Rights curriculum within the Catholic University In the the meantime the the Legal Clinic engages in in in two main activities:
• Training of of law students and professors in in in human rights with the aim of not only fostering a a culture of of the the observation of of human rights in the the country but also providing legal assistance to enable access to to to justice to to to those who have no means to to to acquire legal aid
• Providing legal assistance As illustrated in in the image below the Legal Clinic conducts various external counselling activities every month to volunteer for those who need it most