Mozambique: Thematic capitals to decentralize the State – ENDE 2025-44

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Mozambique: Thematic capitals to decentralize the State – ENDE 2025-44

4:17 CAT | 15 Apr 2025

Image: Google Maps

The Mozambican government intends to create thematic capitals for the different sectors and areas of society, as a way to decentralize the State, one of the priorities in the long-term objectives of the 2025-2044 National Development Strategy (ENDE).

The document, which Lusa had access to today and which will be discussed in parliament in the coming weeks, defines several actions “of critical importance to achieve the objectives” of the strategy, starting with “creating thematic capitals”.

“Adopting a model of decentralization of State institutions, with the objective of promoting regional and spatial development, such as tourist capital, parliamentary capital, oil and gas capital, mining capital,” reads the document, the first version of which was approved in June 2024, by the previous government, and revised in the current executive led by Daniel Chapo, who was sworn in in January as the fifth President of Mozambique.

READ: Mozambique Elections: Chapo pledges to turn cities into thematic capitals

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Gas production in Mozambique is concentrated in the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Inhambane, the latter also considered the most touristic in the country, while in terms of mining, Tete and Nampula stand out, with the country’s capital and current seat of the Assembly of the Republic being Maputo.

The document defines other actions among the priorities, such as “implementing measures to combat corruption and strengthening public institutions”, arguing that promoting transparency and improving accountability are key aspects to attracting investment and creating a fairer business environment”.

It also defines the need to “implement policies and incentives to diversify the economy, promoting industrialization and the local transformation of natural resources”, pointing out the “transition from primary sectors to high value-added sectors and services, especially in the areas of agro-industry, mining and technology” as “essential to reduce the vulnerability of the economy and strengthen national and regional value chains”.

It also “improves the legal framework by drafting, reviewing and improving legal and guiding instruments in the extractive and mining industries”, firstly “inserting the obligation of local processing in order to add value and its direct implication in the Gross Domestic Product, through the export of the finished product and its direct implication in human development”. It also highlights the priority of “investing in quality education and health, professional education, science and technology combined with artificial intelligence, with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics”, to attract national workers.

“The qualification of the workforce, combined with the use of the demographic dividend, will be a crucial driver for increasing productivity and innovation, creating a solid basis for inclusive, sustainable growth and boosting human development,” it states.

Another priority of the 2025-2044 ENDE is “overcoming the deficit of essential infrastructures, with a focus on transport, energy, water and sanitation”, with this “improvement” being “the key to increasing the country’s competitiveness, boosting regional trade and improving the quality of life of communities”.

It also aims to “strengthen the capacity to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change, with an emphasis on managing the risks of natural disasters”, investing in renewable energy and green technologies as a “crucial option to ensure an energy transition that favors sustainability, while protecting infrastructure and ecosystems”.

Finally, it foresees the integration of environmental conservation practices, “promoting the circular economy and encouraging the sustainable use of natural resources”, and to this end “territorial planning must include the blue and green economy, with a focus on reducing waste and increasing the reuse of resources”.

Source: Lusa