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While in New York, Rosario was also granted an audience with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (pictured] and held a meeting with former US President Bill Clinton. [Photo: Notícias]
Mozambican Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario told reporters in New York on Tuesday that the government is drawing up a matrix of projects, by areas and by sectors, to be undertaken in the reconstruction of the central city of Beira, which was devastated by cyclone Idai in March.
The first disbursements, from the pledges of 1.2 billion US dollars made at the donors’ conference held in Beira on 31 May-1 June, are expected in July and August, hence the need to ensure that a matrix of projects is in place.
Rosario was speaking at a press conference, marking the end of a working visit to New York, where he had taken part in the Fourth Special Thematic Session of the United Nations on Water and Disasters.
“It is up to us to design the matrix of what to do and how and when to do it during the reconstruction phase”, he said. “We know that technical and administrative aspects are in hand which will ensure that the first disbursements will begin to flow in July and August”.
In the matrix of projects, two stand out. One is key infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, railways and electricity transmission lines. The other is housing. In both areas, emergency repairs were carried out immediately after the cyclone, but a great deal remains to be done.
“We want to divide the package that emerged from the Beira conference into various well-structured and directed projects that we can sell to our partners”, said Rosario. “There are those who want to support the health sector, others who are interested in water supply, others in housing – hence the preparation of packages for international institutions and even for personalities”.
Mozambican diplomatic representations will also play an important role, he added, because they must follow up the contacts made with individual and institutional partners who have expressed the wish to work with Mozambique.
While in New York, Rosario was also granted an audience with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and held a meeting with former US President Bill Clinton. He said that Clinton expressed great willingness to help mobilise support for Mozambican agriculture.
Rosario said he had found great awareness of the threat posed by climate change. Cyclones on the scale of Idai and Kenneth could recur, and it was urgent to work on mitigating their impacts.
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