Mozambican parliament approves government’s Five-Year Programme

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambican parliament approves government’s Five-Year Programme

4:34 CAT | 03 Apr 2020

Photo: Noticias

The Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique today approved, in general and specifically, the government’s Five-Year Programme (PQG) 2020-2025, with Frelimo, the party in power, voting in favour, and opposition parties Renamo and the MDM voting against.

The PQG approved today predicts an average growth rate of 5.5%, according to calculations made before the Covid-19 respiratory disease pandemic.

ALSO READ: Mozambique: Government prioritises Education, Health, Agriculture – AIM report

Minister of Economy and Finance, Adriano Maleiane, has already revised the forecast for economic growth for this year down from 4.8% to 2.2% in a pessimistic scenario, and to 3.8% in an optimistic scenario, so the five-year governance plan could change.

In the document approved today, the Government of the Liberation Front of Mozambique (Frelimo) pledges to channel 20% of the State Budget to the area of Education, with a view to expanding the school network and improving the quality of education.

For the Health area, 15% of the State Budget is promised, in order to continue expanding the health network and improving the quality of health services.

Frelimo made it possible to implement the PQG, with 173 votes in favour, arguing that it points to effective ways to improving the country’s economic and social situation.

“The programme ensures the reduction of poverty and social inequalities and promotes an environment favourable to public and private investment for sustainable economic growth,” Frelimo deputy Abdul Gafur Issufo said, delivering the vote from his bench.

For its part, the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), which rejected the PQG with 54 votes against, said that the document results from fraudulent elections won by Frelimo last October.

“This PQG was not endorsed by Mozambicans and is the result of the biggest electoral fraud in the history of Mozambique,” Maria Angelina Dique said, delivering Renamo’s vote.

For the main opposition party, the programme fails to address chronic malnutrition, not indicating how to get the 43% of children under five years of age out of this situation.

The Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), the second-largest opposition party, said the document was a “catastrophe” and would keep Mozambique among the poorest countries in the world.

“There is nothing concrete and feasible in this PQG to take the country out of the dire situation it finds itself in,” MDM deputy Fernando Bismarque said.

The PQG foresees that, up until 2024, 265 specialist doctors will be trained and employed, taking the total to 935 professionals. It also foresees the hiring of about 48,000 teachers across the entire education system, against 36,000 or so employed in 2015-2019.

The construction of an additional 3,355 classrooms primary education is expected to benefit approximately 334,000 children, and 2,000 more classrooms for secondary education, benefiting 220,000 students. The purchase of 260,875 new school desks will benefit about a million students countrywide.

Source: Lusa