Mozambique calls for quick disbursement of support to face crises

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Mozambique calls for quick disbursement of support to face crises

4:33 CAT | 16 Jul 2020

From left to right Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Celso Correia, UK High Commissioner to Mozambique NneNne Iwuji-Eme, Minister of Transport and Communications Carlos Mesquita. [Photo: UK in Mozambique / Twitter]

Given the multiple crises the country is facing, the Mozambican government needs “greater speed” in the disbursement of the support announced by international partners, to ensure that it reaches the population in “good time”, the country’s Minister of Agriculture has said.

“The country has been plunged into crisis recently by constant natural disasters such as drought, Cyclones Idai and Kenneth and now Covid-19, as well as the situation in Cabo Delgado. Much support has been promised, but disbursements are slow coming,” Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Celso Correia said, according to a statement from the British High Commission in Maputo.

The document relates to a meeting in Maputo on Monday between the British High Commission, the ministries of Trade and Industry, Agriculture and Rural Development and 80 British companies, held to discuss agricultural opportunities and the impacts and challenges of Covid-19.

The minister also challenged international partners and credit companies to adjust their requirements for greater inclusion of small and medium producers.

“Producers face challenges, especially in terms of access to finance, and the national banking represented here is still far distant from this target group,” he said.

The Mozambican government took the opportunity to announce its intention to build new value chains, allowing more people in the sector to move from subsistence to commercial agriculture.

“Both in agriculture and in trade, there is a need for expansion and modernisation of industries,” Minister of Industry and Commerce, Carlos Mesquita, said, along with greater “access to the Internet and a more digital economy”.

The British high commissioner in Maputo,NneNne Iwuji-Eme, reiterated the UK’s commitment to continuing a mutually beneficial partnership, emphasising that “platforms for dialogue between the Mozambican government and the British private sector are open”.

NOW: UK🇬🇧 in 🇲🇿 hosting a online discussion chaired by @NneNneUK with participation of Minister for Industry & Trade Carlos Mesquita & Minister of Agriculture @CelsoIsmaelCor1 to discuss the challenges & impact of #COVID19 on businesses & #agriculture operating in 🇲🇿. pic.twitter.com/P7hhAKbsb4

— UK in Mozambique (@UKinMozambique) July 13, 2020