WASHINGTON WANTS FORENSIC AUDIT OF MOZAMBICAN DEBT

The United States ambassador to Mozambique, Dean Pittman, has called for an independent forensic audit of the accounts of the Mozambican state, in order to assess the causes of the current public debt crisis.This demand for a forensic audit is similar to that made by British High Commissioner Joanna Kuenssburg on Wednesday.But Pittman also praised the steps taken by the government to reveal details of the public debt, particularly by debating the matter on Wednesday and Thursday in the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of Republic. Pittman was speaking on Friday to reporters in Maputo after an audience granted by President Filipe Nyusi. 

“As for the debt”, he said, “the first steps taken by the government this week are good. But it’s just a beginning because the trust of the international community is low and the government has to increase its credibility. Hence an independent forensic audit is needed so that we know exactly what happened, and what to do henceforth”.

He said the meeting with Nyusi dealt particularly with the current political situation in Mozambique and security matters. The ambassador, invoking the “historic” cooperation and friendship between the two countries said that the US is “completely willing” to support Mozambique in matters of peace and security. Also on Friday, Nyusi granted an audience to the ambassador of the European Union, Sven von Burgsdorff, and again the political and economic situation of Mozambique was at the centre of their attentions.Asked whether the 24 fishing boats of the Mozambique Tuna Company (EMATUM) are now fully compliant with European Union specifications, von Burgsdorff said this matter was not touched on in his discussions with the President. He reiterated that the EU and other donors are pondering whether to resume direct support for the Mozambican state budget, which was suspended in April, because of the undeclared, but government-guaranteed loans contracted by the companies Proindicus and MAM (Mozambique Asset Management). The guarantees granted to Proindicus, MAM and EMATUM added over two billion dollars to Mozambique’s foreign debt, pushing the total to 9.89 billion dollars.