Mozambique: Social responsibility ‘fundamental’ for good coexistence between private sector and communities

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Mozambique: Social responsibility ‘fundamental’ for good coexistence between private sector and communities

4:06 CAT | 09 Sep 2022

Photo: Minister Celso Ismael Correia on Facebook

President Filipe Nyusi said on Thursday (08-09) that social responsibility on the part of the private sector in communities affected by the implementation of economic projects is “fundamental” for a good coexistence between investors and the population.

Nyusi was speaking during the inauguration of Massingir Valley Farms, an agricultural venture budgeted at US$150 million, located in Massingir district, Gaza province, southern Mozambique.

“The social activity that you will develop here is fundamental [for harmonious coexistence with the communities],” President Nyusi stressed.

The challenge that Filipe Nyusi laid down at Massingir Valley Farms is an implicit allusion to the often hostile relationship between communities and private investors, including complaints that economic enterprises promote land expropriations, employ little local labour and contribute little to social and economic development.

“As a government, we will continue to support the private sector, to facilitate [investments], because this is our goal, but I would also like our private sector partners to understand that the social activity that they will carry out in this region is fundamental for coexistence,” Nyusi reiterated.

The president considered the agricultural enterprise inaugurated yesterday as an example of private investors’ confidence in Mozambican agriculture.

With this type of investment, Nyusi continued, Mozambique would be able to assert itself as a meat and food exporting country, rectify the trade imbalance in the sector, create jobs and increase revenue.

Despite being officially inaugurated yesterday, Massingir Valley Farms has been in operation for 18 months, and already owns one of the largest alfalfa forage plantations in Africa, employing 200 workers.

The enterprise uses state-of-the-art technology, based on an automated irrigation system.

Source: Lusa