Merger fees now payable in Angola

As of February 2021, certain fees are now due for services rendered by the Autoridade Reguladora da Concorrência (the ARC), as approved by Ministry of Finance’s Executive Decree No. 32/21 (the Decree). Notably, an “assessment of concentration” fee is payable as part of the services. Thereafter, filing fees are payable and calculated in relation to turnover values, based on the thresholds for mandatory merger notification.

13 May 2021 1 min read Competition Law Alert Article

At a glance

  • The Autoridade Reguladora da Concorrência (ARC) in Angola introduced fees for its services, including an "assessment of concentration" fee, as approved by the Ministry of Finance.
  • Merger notification thresholds require notification if the merger results in a market share of 50% or more, or between 30% and 50% with certain turnover requirements.
  • Currently, the ARC only accepts filing fee payments from local firms, and it's unclear if a filing fee is required when the financial thresholds are not met but the market share threshold is.

Merger thresholds

A merger is notifiable if any one, of the following, is satisfied:

  • the merger will result in the acquisition, creation or reinforcement of a market share of 50% or more in the local market or a substantial part of it;
  • the merger will result in the acquisition, creation or reinforcement of a market share of between 30% to 50% in the local market or a substantial part of it, and if at least two of the undertakings concerned individually achieved turnover in Angola of more than Angolan Kwanza (AOA) 450 million (approx. USD 680,000) in the preceding financial year;
  • if the combined turnover in Angola of all undertakings participating in the merger exceeded AOA 3.5 billion (approx. USD 53 million) in the preceding financial year.

10008 ALERT Competition 13 May 2021_table1

At this stage, it seems that the ARC only accepts payments of the filing fee from local firms. It remains uncertain what the position is if the financial thresholds are not met, but the 50% or more market share threshold is. Presumably, in that instance, no filing fee is payable.

The information and material published on this website is provided for general purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. We make every effort to ensure that the content is updated regularly and to offer the most current and accurate information. Please consult one of our lawyers on any specific legal problem or matter. We accept no responsibility for any loss or damage, whether direct or consequential, which may arise from reliance on the information contained in these pages. Please refer to our full terms and conditions. Copyright © 2024 Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. All rights reserved. For permission to reproduce an article or publication, please contact us cliffedekkerhofmeyr@cdhlegal.com.