Mozambique Gas Summitt: Private sector pushes for national content policy

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Mozambique Gas Summitt: Private sector pushes for national content policy

2:01 CAT | 01 Dec 2016

Noticias

Mozambique urgently needs a national content policy to ensure that Mozambican companies actively participate in the various exploitation of natural resources projects in the country, the private sector says.

As a way of safeguarding the interests of Mozambican businesspeople, the Government is soon to approve a proposal for a national content bill, whose scope extends beyond the extractive industry.

While acknowledging the complexity in terms of the formalism and timing required to pass a bill that truly mirrors the aspirations of all parties involved, the private sector argues that the country should embark on a national content policy.

Agostinho Vuma, deputy-chairman of the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA), argues that the option of a legal instrument in the form of a law may further delay the participation of national companies in the implementation of the megaprojects of the extractive industry, some of which are already underway.

These ideas were advanced yesterday in Maputo in a debate on “The role of small and medium-sized enterprises in the development of national content”, one of events in the third edition of the Mozambique Gas Summit, which officially opens today and which will examine the stage and the perspectives of the oil industry in Mozambique and worldwide. The conference brings together about 400 people from 27 countries around the world

“We know that a good bill involves consultations and, in this case, is a Government proposal that must go to the Assembly of the Republic. Because the projects are already under way, we think that to continue to wait would be to delay the development of human capital and micro and small and medium enterprises in Mozambique,” Vuma said, indicating that the option for a national content policy would be the most recommended.

Before a bill is passed, the CTA says there are examples of how it is possible to take a step-by-step approach whereby every major company could present its development program involving national companies in the provision of goods and services and creating employment opportunities for national citizens.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s Vasco Nhabinde said that the proposed national content law would soon be submitted to the Council of Ministers and that it was a more comprehensive law that would regulate other areas besides the extractive industry.

The Mozambique Gas Summit in the meantime listed many other issues that were impediments to the development of Mozambican companies, such as lack of financing, certification of companies and information on windows of opportunities.

Amad Valy of ENH Logistics said that Mozambican companies’ lack of international certification was one of the obstacles to their growth, since it prevented them from participating in megaprojects tenders.

Source: Noticias