Mozambique: INAE to be renamed National Authority for Economic Activities

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Mozambique: INAE to be renamed National Authority for Economic Activities

2:25 CAT | 22 Aug 2024

Image: INAE

The National Inspectorate for Economic Activities (INAE) will be renamed the National Authority for Economic Activities, spokesperson Tomás Timba announced in Maputo on Wednesday.

The name change, 15 years after the INAE was established, aims to give the institution more powers, in order to respond more effectively to societal concerns.

Timba said today (22-08) that, since its creation, the INAE has carried out around 275,000 inspections, resulting in 150,000 fines. “A project is currently underway to digitalise inspection processes, aiming to significantly reduce the response time to citizens and economic agents and increase the efficiency of inspection operations,” he said.

He also announced that the INAE would launch a portal, “which will allow, among other features, the submission of complaints online, and will greatly facilitate interaction between the public and the institution”.

The INEA spokesperson gave a retrospective of the institution’s history, highlighting its main achievements, the challenges faced and future prospects.

He began the conference by recalling the context that led to the creation of INAE.

“The National Inspectorate of Economic Activities (INAE) was created on 19 August, 2009, in response to the country’s economic development and with the aim of improving the business environment, ensuring uniform action by the various stakeholders in the inspection process and monitoring economic activities in sectors such as Industry, Commerce, Tourism, Health, Environment, among others,” he detailed.

During the press conference, several other INAE achievements over the last 15 years were highlighted. Timba stressed the importance of the work carried out in promoting consumer rights and monitoring economic activities.

“The INAE has been instrumental in disseminating legislation on consumer rights, raising awareness among consumers about their rights and duties, as well as those of economic agents. In addition, the institution has brought a new dynamic with regard to hygiene and cleanliness in places of economic activity, contributing directly to improving public health,” he said.

Other achievements mentioned included combating the circulation and sale of counterfeit and expired products in the national market, monitoring compliance with Covid-19 restrictions during the pandemic and raising awareness among economic agents to avoid speculation and hoarding of products, especially during periods of greater demand.

Timba acknowledged that, despite the successes, the INAE faced significant challenges.

“In the current context, the INAE has to combat the illegal exercise of economic activities, the operation of establishments in inappropriate locations and informal trade. Furthermore, we need to address issues such as the lack of price display, inadequate safety and poor hygiene practices,” he said.

Other challenges include combating the illegal trade in tobacco and of alcoholic beverages, monitoring lease/rental agreements/contracts not submitted to the Tax Authority and extending the INAE’s services to the most remote areas of the country.

Timba also presented figures illustrating the INAE’s work over the past 15 years, highlighting the fact that more than 275,770 inspections have been carried out covering various economic sectors and that more than 150,000 economic offences have been detected, with an emphasis on irregularities related to hygiene, safety and inadequate labelling.

The INAE spokesperson concluded the conference by addressing the INAE’s future prospects and the innovations being implemented.

“The INAE’s future is geared towards ensuring that every product and service available on the market meets the highest standards of quality and safety, thus promoting a fair and transparent economic environment for all. In this sense, we are about to launch the INAE portal, which will allow, among other features, the submission of complaints online and will greatly facilitate interaction between the public and the institution,” Timba said.

Source: MzNews / INAE