Mozambique: President blames banks for shortage of foreign currency
Watch – Nyusi calls for Turkish investment in Mozambique
7:06 CAT | 26 Jan 2017
Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Tuesday urged Turkish businessmen to invest in Mozambique.
Speaking at the end of a Mozambique/Turkey Business Forum, held as part of Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s visit to the country, Nyusi stressed, as potential areas for investment, agriculture (especially agribusiness), infrastructures, energy and tourism.
He told the 600 Mozambican and Turkish businessmen attending the Forum that in agriculture the Mozambican government has been mobilizing private sector partnerships in order to attain self-sufficiency in food and to increase farmers’ income.
“To this end, we think it important to exploit the value chain, with a stress on agribusiness, where our agricultural potential can and should respond to the growing demand for food”, said Nyusi.
As for infrastructures, Nyusi said that the geographical position of Mozambique provides excellent conditions for important investments in ports, railways and roads, opening paths to the domestic and regional markets.
“There are also immense opportunities for investment in water infrastructures”, he added, “which are a critical factor for production and economic development. The effects of climate change have been showing how central this resource is for stimulating our economy. It is from this perspective that, in our programme for governance, we project the building of more dams and irrigation schemes”.
Nyusi said that energy is an area in which Mozambique enjoys comparative and competitive advantages, due to the presence in the country of energy resources, including biomass and renewable sources. He noted that there are great opportunities for investment in producing synthetic fuels and other by-products from the country’s large reserves of coal and natural gas.
The government is prioritizing job creation, Nyusi said, and many jobs could be created through the development of tourism. He pointed to the development of new facilities such as the international airport in the northern coastal city of Nacala, which puts northern Mozambique just eight hours flight from Europe and six hours flight from Asia.
At the moment, however, the only airline using Nacala airport is Mozambique Airlines (LAM) with flights between Maputo and Nacala.
In the government’s strategy for developing tourism, Nyusi added, development poles have been defined with favourable tax regimes for investors. He hoped that Mozambique could count on the “great contribution” of direct Turkish investment.
For his part, Erdogan declared “Turkey is very motivated to invest in Mozambique. I am very pleased with the development that is taking place in this country. Turkey will help Mozambique improve its infrastructures”.
He said he wanted to develop cooperation on the basis of mutual benefits, exploiting positively the opportunities that exist in Mozambique.
“This Forum has given us the opportunity to sign agreements for infrastructure projects, including factories in Mozambique”, Erdogan added. “In terms of infrastructures, Turkey is a country with a great deal of experience”.
At a state banquet offered in honour of Erdogan, Nyusi guaranteed that Mozambique is committed to consolidating peace, in order to achieve political stability as an essential condition for development.
In talks with the rebel movement Renamo, “we have been doing everything possible so that we can reach a sustainable understanding for the definitive cessation of military hostilities and the establishment of an effective and lasting peace”, said Nyusi.
As for the country’s economic situation, Nyusi stressed that the government has been implementing policies favourable to increasing production and productivity.
“We have been counting on the cooperation of our friends and cooperation partners, and Turkey has been increasing its intervention in Mozambique”, he told Erdogan. “We are sure that with your visit the expectations are high. We must maximize this opportunity.”
For his part, Erdogan said he was pleased and proud to be the first Turkish president to make an official visit to Mozambique. “This visit will enter the annals of history, to strengthen the cooperation and solidarity between our two countries”, he claimed.
He promised that Turkey will mobilize all its support for sustainable development and stability in Mozambique.
Source: AIM
Show comments
Also read
Leave a Reply
Be the First to Comment!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.