Mozambique: Government sets sights on 252,000 new jobs by 2021

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Mozambique: Government sets sights on 252,000 new jobs by 2021

2:15 CAT | 02 Dec 2020

FILE PHOTO: Jornal Domingo

Mozambique’s government on Wednesday announced in parliament the target of creating 252,000 new jobs in 2021, during the presentation of the proposals of the Economic and Social Plan (PES) and the 2021 State Budget.

“The government plans to continue its efforts to create more jobs, estimating around 252,000 new jobs in 2021,” said Adriano Maleiane, Mozambique’s economy and finance minister.

In the first half of the year, the government cut the employment target for this year from an initial projection of 600,000 to 181,340, attributing the revision to the impact of Covid-19.

Meanwhile, the World Bank announced on Tuesday that Mozambique had lost 120,000 jobs this year.

Most of Mozambique’s approximately 30 million people live from subsistence farming and informal activities, and the country has no employment statistics.

Maleiane said that the executive’s employment strategy for 2021 included distributing 620 self-employment kits (tools for agriculture and other trades) and funding 570 projects for youth initiatives for self-employment and income creation.

Also in terms of social indicators, the government plans to build 1,100 primary classrooms and 13 secondary classrooms and to hire 9,330 new teachers for all levels of education.

The government pledged to distribute about 21.3 million school books and 30,000 school desks.

In the health sector, the government wants to maintain the current target of 95% of children under 12 months completely vaccinated.

The PES foresees the extension of access to the national electricity network to 45% of the population by reaching 435,000 new households.

The government also promises to build 1,366 fountains and 15 water supply systems in cities and towns.

In the context of fundamental rights, duties and freedoms, the government foresees that the percentage of citizens with Identity Cards will increase to about 43% of the population, according to PES.

The PES and budget proposals that the government is presenting today and Thursday in parliament predict GDP will grow 2.1% compared to the forecast of 0.8% for this year, foresees an increase of 2.5% in the value of exports to $3.76 billion (€3.14 million) and an expansion of the coverage of imports by net international reserves for almost seven months.

The Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), a party in power for 45 years since independence, holds a qualified majority of 184 of the 250 seats that make up the parliament, the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) holds 60 and the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) six.

Source: Lusa