Mozambique starts process of onboarding as Africa50's shareholder
“We intend this office to be the body that will promote the international donors’ conference that will take place in Beira,” said Minister of Public Works, Joao Machatine. Photos: Courtesy of União Europeia em Moçambique
The Mozambican Minister of Public Works, Joao Machatine, on Thursday met with representatives of several cooperation partners to harmonise terms of reference for the Post-Disaster Recovery Programme (PREPOC) approved by the government on Tuesday.
Attending the meeting were representatives of the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations and the European Union. In addition to the physical aspects of reconstruction, the meeting was also concerned about how PREPOC will be paid for.
Machatine said a reconstruction office is being set up, which will have all information on the cyclone damage, the budgetary impact of the disaster, and the recovery strategy. “We intend this office to be the body that will promote the international donors’ conference that will take place in Beira”.
Speaking at a press conference at the end of the meeting, the European Union ambassador, Antonio Gaspar, said it was still too early to know how much reconstruction would cost in the cyclone affected areas.
He added that a team of international experts are currently on the ground in the central provinces surveying the damaged infrastructures.
Funding reconstruction could take many forms, but the money would certainly mostly come in the form of grants.
“The government has many partners, and each has its own mechanisms, rules and procedures”, said Gaspar, “but I think there is a willingness not only to add to current programmes, but also to adapt, reprogramme the projects under way, so that they are reoriented towards the most affected areas”.
At the meeting, the chairperson of the government’s Road Fund, Angelo Macuacua, said the reconstruction plan will include road works already under way – but the contracts might well have to be renewed, since they were signed with the various contractors before the cyclone.
“This will require an additional financial effort”, said Macuacua, “since we are talking about an event that was outside of our initial forecasts, when the costs of these jobs were determined”.
Road repairs could not wait, he urged, and a speedy response was needed immediately.
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