Parliament approves bill to set up Mozambican Order of Architects

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Parliament approves bill to set up Mozambican Order of Architects

7:30 CAT | 09 Mar 2017

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The Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, on Thursday passed unanimously the first reading of a government bill establishing the Order of Architects, a professional body that will supervise the practice of architecture in the country.

Introducing the bill, the Minister of Public Works, Carlos Bonete, said there is a rapidly growing market for architects in Mozambique, attracting both Mozambican and foreign professionals, “and so rules of conduct must be defined to ensure the best performance of the profession”.

The Order of Architects, he said, “will contribute to improving the quality of projects and rationalizing budgetary waste due to the poor quality of building work”. It will also “contribute to the defence and promotion of architecture and town planning, and care for the social function, dignity and prestige of the profession”.

The Order will licence architects and lay down the level of training required before anyone can practice architecture.

As with the existing professional Orders (of doctors, engineers, or lawyers), nobody will be allowed to practice unless they are members of the Order.

The Order will also set up an Ethics Council which will protect professional ethics, and handle disciplinary proceedings. The ethical principles which architects must follow include “public interest, impartiality, competence, good relations with colleagues and legality”.

Architects must “refrain from any illegitimate pressure on public authorities with the purpose of obtaining benefits for their work”.

The bill was uncontroversial and the Assembly passed it by consensus.

Source: AIM