Kidnappers had more than 2 billion meticais extorted from their victims by 2022 – CTA

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Kidnappers had more than 2 billion meticais extorted from their victims by 2022 – CTA

3:19 CAT | 28 Feb 2023

File photo: CTA

The Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA) on Monday morning (27-02) proved definitively that the kidnapping industry is effectively harming entrepreneurs and the business environment in the country.

CTA chairman Agostinho Vuma said that preliminary data from a study that the association is carrying out reveal that, up until 2022, around 2.2 billion meticais (around US$34.4 million at current exchange rates)had been extorted from kidnapped business-people.

“Excellencies, we made reference to 2.2 billion meticais having been extorted. We do not have the enormous number related to exports of capital and capital flight which has occurred as a result of the fear of this phenomenon,” Vuma told Prime Minister Adriano Maleiane and business-people attending the IX Business Environment Monitoring Council (CMAN) in Maputo, taking place within the scope of the Public-Private Dialogue (DPP).

In response to the grief and deaths in the families of the kidnapped business-people and the negative impact that the phenomenon has on the business environment in Mozambique, Vuma regretted the ongoing sophistication of the phenomenon, and appealed to the government to take action to put an end to it.

One of the latest kidnappings to shock society took place on December 14, 2022, in the Fomento neighbourhood of Matola. The victim was businessman Hayyum Ali Mamade, who owned the Vanilla ice cream chain and a shopping centre in the city as well as a group of Kids R Us stores. Almost two weeks later, the businessman died, presumably while still in captivity.

In addition to kidnapping, the CTA also complained about terrorism which, in its opinion, also limits the development of the business environment.

“While we praise the progress in the northern operational theatre, whose reflections can be seen in the return of populations and the timid resumption of business activity in areas once hit by terrorist attacks, we call on the government to take decisive action leading to the eradication of kidnapping, since security and stability are essential premises for the pursuit of economic activity and attracting investment,” Vuma said.

The IX CMAN aims to assess the level of implementation of the reform priorities set out in the Action Plan for the Improvement of the Business Environment (PAMAN) and the implementation of the measures of the Economic Acceleration Plan (PAE). The CMAN is the highest management and monitoring body of the DPP, and is led by the Prime Minister and coordinated by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, the Government’s focal point for Private Sector matters.

Members of the government and other relevant staff in the DPP process participated in the CMAN meeting. On the private sector side, in addition to the CTA Board of Directors, the presidents of various departments and Provincial Business Councils and partners participated.

By Evaristo Chilingue

Source: Carta de Moçambique