Mozambique: CFM is backbone of national economy – Chapo
TVM
Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said on Friday he is convinced that, with the consolidation of the existing potential in all areas of cooperation, Mozambique and Holland will inaugurate a new page of growth and mutual progress.
Speaking in the Hague, at the closing ceremony of the Holland-Mozambique Business Forum, Nyusi described it as a successful event which will open space for a more productive business relationship.
“The diversity of business areas represented at this Forum shows the Dutch interest in knowing better the potential of Mozambique, and the areas in which business partnerships can be made”, he said.
Nyusi drew a brief sketch of cooperation with Holland since Mozambican independence. Between 1975 and 2016, he said, Holland had disbursed about 1.2 billion US dollars in programmes with an impact on Mozambican communities, particularly in water and sanitation, agriculture and rural development.
“Trade flows have increased significantly”, he added. From 2011 to 2016, Mozambican exports to Holland amounted to 4.5 billion dollars, and Dutch imports to Mozambique were valued at three billion dollars. This favourable trade balance is largely due to the fact that Holland is a major buyer of the aluminium ingots produced at the Mozal smelter on the outskirts of Maputo.
Nyusi added that, over the last six years, 25 Dutch investment projects were approved that created about 1,000 jobs. The projects of Dutch private investors involved a total of about 60 million dollars, around 16 million of which were direct investment. He believed that much more could be done in areas such as agriculture, energy, transport, mining, fisheries and tourism.
The President invited Dutch investors to participate massively in this year’s edition of the Maputo International Trade Fair (FACIM), which will be held in August.
He told the 150 participants in the Forum, who included over 50 Mozambican business people, that there are vast possibilities for investment in Mozambique, particularly in agriculture, with land “that can produce grain and vegetables for domestic production and export”, and potential for food processing.
Other areas for investment included the generation and transmission of electricity, notably renewable energies such as solar and wind power, in which Holland is a world leader. “The potential in this area is enormous, due to the energy deficit in Mozambique and in the southern African region”, Nyusi said.
He also stressed the need for new transport and communications infrastructures, for facilities for water storage and irrigation, and Mozambique’s excellent conditions for beach and safari tourism.
Nyusi also met on Friday with Dutch Prime minister Mark Rutte, and made a courtesy call on King Willem Alexander.
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