The explanation for Mozambique's delayed road works

The frequent delays in completing road works in Mozambique is due to delays by the government in paying contractors, according to officials of the National Roads Administration (ANE).They raised the matter on Monday, when Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario visited the ANE headquarters in Maputo.“What we are asking of you, Mr Prime Minister, what should be done immediately, so that we don’t have road works paralysed, is to pay on time the invoices submitted by the contractors”, said Joao Godinho, the coordinator of the Nampula-Cuamba road in the north of the country. “We are making efforts to check the work, but we lose our power as inspectors, because we have debts to the contractors”.The Minister of Public Works, Carlos Bonete, said that this situation arises because of the government’s dependence on foreign partners, who have promised to fund the roads. When these partners delay in disbursing the funds, the government delays in paying the contractors.He stressed the delays in disbursement by Portugal, which has been one of the main partners financing Mozambican roads and bridges. “Financing has led us to this situation”, he said. “We are going to have to renegotiate with our main partner, the Portuguese government. The objective is to find the paths to revitalize the financing, not only from Portugal, but also from other partners, such as the African Development Bank and the Japanese development agency”.The ANE director of maintenance. Silvestre Elias, told Rosario that the maintenance sector receives an annual budget of three million meticais (about US$57,700, at current exchange rates) and it is nowhere near enough.To undertake its activities normally, the maintenance sector would need an additional five million meticais, he said. “The amount we receive is meagre”, said Elias. “Even so, we are working”.