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ANGOLA

Since June 2018, last amended in April 2021
Since October 2018, last amended in November 2021

Pillar Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in sectors relevant to digital trade  |  Indicator Screening of investment and acquisitions
Law No. 10/21 - Private Investment Law (Law No. 10/21 - Lei do Investimento Privado)

Law No. 250/18 - Regulations for the Private Investment (Law No. 250/18 - Regulamentação da Lei do Investimento Privado)
The Private Investment Law No. 10/21 established the Angolan Investment Promotion Agency (AIPEX) as the primary entity responsible for promoting and regulating private investment. AIPEX serves as a one-stop shop for investment approvals. According to Art. 45, private investors have the responsibility to hire local workers, providing them with adequate training and ensuring working conditions and salaries commensurate with their skills. Although they have the option of employing qualified foreign workers, they must implement a rigorous training plan for national technicians, with the purpose of eventually replacing them with Angolan workers. These training plans and the gradual process of replacing foreign labour should be an integral part of the documentation submitted for any investment proposal. The Regulations for the Private Investment Law No. 250/18 outline the steps for registering and approving private investment projects, with AIPEX overseeing the process. Art. 6 specifies the investment project documentation, including a plan for gradually replacing foreign labour with national labour and the procedures required for registration.
Coverage Horizontal

ANGOLA

Since February 1992

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Indicator Practical or legal restrictions related to the application process for patents
Law No. 3/92 - Industrial Property Law (Law No. 3/92 - Lei da Propriedade Industrial)
Art. 5 of Law No. 3/92 states that patent applications must be written in the Portuguese language and that foreign applicants must appoint a legal local representative.
Coverage Horizontal

ANGOLA

Reported in 2021, last reported in 2023

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Indicator Practical or legal restrictions related to the application process for patents
Delays in the processing of patent applications
Angola reportedly faces practical and legal obstacles in the patent application process, including high direct and indirect patent filing costs and delays in the processing of patent applications.
Coverage Horizontal

ANGOLA

Since February 1992

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Indicator Practical or legal restrictions related to the enforcement of patents
Law No. 3/92 - Industrial Property Law (Law No. 3/92 - Lei da Propriedade Industrial)
Chapter 2 of the Law No. 3/92 covers the mechanism of patent protection. Arts. 5 and 67 show that foreign patent owners need a local representative to defend patent rights. Additionally, there have been reports on procedural complexities, such as the intricate and time-consuming judicial processes in Angola, which could pose challenges for foreign patent holders. Furthermore, it is reported the shortage of judges proficient in patent law further exacerbates these barriers, impacting the efficient adjudication of patent-related disputes.
Coverage Horizontal

ANGOLA

Since September 2007, entry into force in December 2007

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Indicator Participation in the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
Angola is a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
Coverage Horizontal

ANGOLA

Since July 2014

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Indicator Copyright law with clear exceptions
Law No. 15/14 - Copyright and Related Rights (Law No. 15/14 - Lei dos Direitos de Autor e Conexos)
Angola has a copyright regime under Law No. 15/14. However, the exceptions do not follow the fair use or fair dealing model, therefore limiting the lawful use of copyrighted work by others. Section V lists the exceptions, which include research or private study by the person using the work; use in a private place in which entry is not paid and non-profit; review or news reporting; reproduction by photographic or similar processes, when carried out for didactic purposes by public or private libraries, centres or documentation files of general interest or public, institutions with a scientific or technological vocation, educational establishment; reproduction of works, permanently exposed to the public through images, reports; educational use; reproduction of arrangement or translation exclusively for individual and private use; quotations from copyright work and critics; speeches and lectures in front of the media; performance of the hymn, as well as works of a religious character.
Coverage Horizontal

ANGOLA

N/A

Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)  |  Indicator Adoption of the WIPO Copyright Treaty
Lack of signature of the WIPO Copyright Treaty
Angola has not signed the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.
Coverage Horizontal
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[{"post_id":"97311"},{"post_id":"97312"},{"post_id":"97313"}]
"SELECT meta_value FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'impact' AND\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id IN (SELECT post_id FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'country' AND meta_value = 'AO')\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAND (\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id IN (SELECT post_id FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'subchapter' AND meta_value = '1.1') OR\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id IN (SELECT post_id FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'subchapter' AND meta_value = '1.2')\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t)"
"SELECT meta_value FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'score' AND\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id IN (SELECT post_id FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'country' AND meta_value = 'AO')\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAND (\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id IN (SELECT post_id FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'subchapter' AND meta_value = '1.3')\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t)"
ITA: [{"meta_value":"1.00"}]

ANGOLA

ITA signatory? I II

Pillar Tariffs and trade defence measures applied on ICT goods  |  Indicator Effective tariff rate on ICT goods (applied weighted average)
Effective tariff rate to ICT goods (applied weighted average)
5.89%
Coverage rate of zero-tariffs on ICT goods (%)
45.76%
Coverage: ICT goods

ANGOLA

N/A

Pillar Tariffs and trade defence measures applied on ICT goods  |  Indicator Participation in the WTO Information Technology Agreement (ITA) and 2015 expansion (ITA II)
Lack of participation in the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) and in ITA Expansion Agreement (ITA II)
Angola is not a signatory of the 1996 World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) nor the 2015 expansion (ITA II).
Coverage ICT goods

ANGOLA

Since December 2020, entry into force in January 2021

Pillar Public procurement of ICT goods and online services  |  Indicator Exclusion from public procurement
Law No. 41/20 Public Procurement Law (Law No. 41/20 dos Contratos Públicos)
According to Art. 54 of Law No. 41/20, foreign firms are only allowed to participate in bids for public contracts in Angola if they have a legal presence in Angola and one of the following specific conditions are met:
- The value of the contract must be equal to or greater than the amount specified in Annex III of the law, which is 182 million kwanzas (approx. USD 220,000) for goods and services. Below this value, foreign companies can only participate in government procurements as a supplier or subcontractor to an Angolan company fulfilling a government contract;
- The contract must be for a service that is technically complex or specialised, and it must be reasonable to expect that no Angolan firm can provide the service adequately;
- The contract is for a conceptual project unless the contracting authority explicitly restricts foreign participation in the terms of reference.
Furthermore, Art. 13 determines that government suppliers must be registered in the centralised Angolan Government Databank.
The Public Procurement Law No. 41/20, in effect since January 2021, revoked Law No. 9/16 on Public Procurement in Angola but kept the previous restrictions on foreign participation.
Coverage Horizontal

ANGOLA

Since December 2020, entry into force in January 2021
Since June 2014

Pillar Public procurement of ICT goods and online services  |  Indicator Other limitations on foreign participation in public procurement
Law No. 41/20 Public Procurement Law (Law No. 41/20 dos Contratos Públicos)

Joint Executive Decree No. 157/14
Under Art. 53 of Law No. 41/20, the contracting authority is required to include in tender documents specific rules that promote the preferential contracting of Angolan companies - including micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). These rules include provisions such as preferential access to the negotiation phase, a margin of preference up to 10%, an increase in the overall score awarded to the proposals of Angolan companies, a higher score for goods produced, extracted, or cultivated in Angola, a requirement that a percentage of the subcontracted work be reserved for Angolan companies, and preferential treatment for domestic suppliers to limit foreign participation in public procurement.
Furthermore, according to Art. 4 of the Joint Executive Decree No. 157/14, large companies executing public contracts must outsource to Angolan MSMEs at least 10% of the value of services contracts and 25% of the value of works contracts.
The Public Procurement Law No. 41/20, in effect since January 2021, revoked Law No. 9/16 on Public Procurement in Angola but kept the previous restrictions on foreign participation.
Coverage Horizontal

ANGOLA

N/A

Pillar Public procurement of ICT goods and online services  |  Indicator Signatory of the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) with coverage of the most relevant services sectors (CPC 752, 754, 84)
Lack of participation in the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA)
Angola is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), nor does it have observer status.
Coverage Horizontal

ANGOLA

Since June 2018, last amended in April 2021

Pillar Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in sectors relevant to digital trade  |  Indicator Maximum foreign equity share
Law No. 10/21 - Private Investment Law (Law No. 10/21 - Lei do Investimento Privado)
The 2018 Private Investment Law (PIL) outlines the general principles governing private investment in Angola for both domestic and foreign investors, applicable to investments of any value. It is reported that foreign and domestic private entities can establish and own businesses, though foreign entities face restrictions on holding a majority stake in certain sectors. However, none of the sectors relevant for digital trade are considered strategic, thus full ownership by foreigners is permitted.
Coverage Horizontal

ALGERIA

N/A

Pillar Online sales and transactions  |  Indicator Ratification of the UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts
Lack of signature of the UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts
Algeria has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.
Coverage Horizontal

ALGERIA

N/A

Pillar Online sales and transactions  |  Indicator UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce
Lack of adoption of UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce
Algeria has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.
Coverage Horizontal

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