Mozambique: No money for roads – By Joseph Hanlon

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Mozambique: No money for roads – By Joseph Hanlon

9:30 CAT | 07 Aug 2018

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Public Works Minister Joao Machatine admitted long delays in paying contractors for road works, speaking to construction companies in Nampula 20 July. (O Pais 23 July) He also said that the government has no money for regular maintenance of roads, which means they deteriorate until they are almost impassable. This has happened on the main EN1 north-south road in Inhambane and Sofala, where repair works will start shortly. They will be funding by toll booths to be put on the road. (AIM En 22 July)

Money is also short for “essential” road projects planned for this year. Estimated to cost $5.3 bn, government budgeted only $90 mn (2%) and lenders are paying $1.7 bn, with two thirds ($3.2 bn) unfunded. For 2018, 53% of road finance is coming from China and the rest from the EU (only projects already under way), World Bank, African Development Bank, Japan, India and South Korea. (@Verdade 17 July http://www.verdade.co.mz/tema-de-fundo/35-themadefundo/66318-mocambique-precisa-de-3-bilioes-de-dolares-para-construcao-reabilitacao-e-a-manutencao-de-estradas-em-2018)

@Verdade (11 July) notes that the government in its five year plan promised to rehabilitate 2,774 km of roads, but the Ministry of Public Works says it did only 239 km in 2016, 220 km in 1987, and predicts only 150 km for this year.

Source: News reports & clippings