“One of the paths to Africa’s development is the link between SMEs and foreign investment”

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“One of the paths to Africa’s development is the link between SMEs and foreign investment”

1:56 CAT | 20 Jun 2019

Photo: O País

In the second panel discussion of the US-Africa Business Summit, themed “Doing Business in Mozambique” Kekobad Patel, representing the national private sector, highlighted transformations in the tourism sector aimed at improving the business environment, noting, for example, the recent revision of the visa policy reducing the time taken to issue a visa from seven days to 30 minutes.

“As is normal in the reform process, challenges remain,” he said.

The panellist also said that an agreement was made with the government so that constraints on power decentralisation and increasing rates could be addressed.

“We are working to accelerate universal access to energy in a competitive business environment. At the level of the tourism sector, challenges, such as transportation deficiencies and reducing domestic fares, do persist,” he added.

For Patel, one of the obvious paths to African development is the link between SMEs and foreign investment.

In his speech, Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosário said that the present summit favoured the integration of Mozambique in the world, and that the theme chosen for the debate was fundamental in the context of deepening and energising the countries of Africa.

“To attract investment, there is a need to improve the business environment, the prevalence of a safe environment, more flexible administrative procedures and less bureaucracy, the existence of support services and a predictable macroeconomic environment,” the prime minister said.

Do Rosario highlighted the fact that Mozambique had registered a considerable rise in its energy and tourism sector ‘Doing Business’ ranking through its visa policy and by increasing the number of border points.

In conclusion, the prime minister said that the progress made in the peace process and business environment made it possible to say that Mozambique was a preferred destination for business investment.

Isabel Macie, a senior official in the Mozambican Ministry of Tourism, highlighted the importance of the tourism sector in the development of the country’s economy. “Along with agriculture and energy, tourism is a major factor in the development of Mozambique,” Macie said.

By Hélia Chopo

Source: O País