SUBSIDISE PRODUCTION, NOT IMPORTS, SAYS NYUSI

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi declared on Friday that in 2016 the government will subsidise domestic production, and not imports.Speaking at the traditional end of year reception at the presidential palace in Maputo, Nyusi said “stabilizing our economy will depend solely on increasing production and productivity. It is true that we still have a long, winding and complex journey ahead of us, but we are sure that the development of Mozambique is irreversible”.“Let us all, as a nation, work for the collective good, by consolidating peace and ensuring the progress and well-being of all Mozambicans, without any kind of distinction”, he urged. The districts will be at the centre of the government’s attentions, he said, and the administration of the districts would be focused on increasing production and productivity. This would mean “more decentralization of resources, great rigour and transforming the districts into centres of results”.He announced that the government has already begun taking short and medium term measures to meet the needs of producing essential goods. The Bank of Mozambique was taking additional measures, seeking to regulate liquidity, and hold back the demand for money. The measures under way, the President added, also seeks to ensure the availability of foreign currency on the domestic exchange market, in order to support businesses in importing raw materials and essential consumer goods. All efforts should be channeled towards encouraging production, Nyusi said, accompanied with measures to hold back costs and to promote a culture of savings.The president once again stressed the importance of guaranteeing peace, assuring his audience that the government is using all possible means of dialogue. However, Afonso Dhlakama, leader of the main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, has so far rejected all Nyusi’s invitations for a face-to-face meeting. He wanted to cut out “middlemen” in dialogue, and ensure direct contact between the interested parties (whom he did not specify, but he was presumably referring to the government and Renamo). “The middlemen, due to the importance they want to gain from this process, sometimes do not transmit faithfully the messages sent by the parties”, Nyusi said. “But once again our common will shall emerge victorious and will triumph over distrust”.“We want to assure all our fellow-countrymen that the government will do its part with the necessary courage and determination”, he pledged. “The dream of hope, of making a difference, of doing the maximum for Mozambique, prevails in our hearts”.