Maputo — The Mozambican government has set up an inter-ministerial committee charged with studying ways of coping with the rising cost of living.

Speaking on Friday at a press conference marking the end of his tour of Maputo City, the first stage of this year's "Open Presidency" that will take him to every province in the country, President Armando Guebuza said that one of the solutions involved stepping up the country's "green revolution", and increasing food production, which he regarded as "a major challenge".

Guebuza said that the purpose of the inter-ministerial committee is to follow the situation, and propose solutions. "This group should interact with all sectors of society to hear their positions", said Guebuza.

During the meetings he held in the city, Guebuza heard criticism from the Mayor of Maputo, Eneas Comiche, about "dual administration" in the capital. Comiche was attacking the overlap between the Maputo Municipal Council, which he heads, and the Maputo City Government, headed by governor Rosa da Silva, who is an appointee of Guebuza.

Ever since Silva was appointed there have been concerns about a possible clash between two poles of authority, the mayor and the governor, in the same territorial space. Comiche warned that this could have negative effects on the development of the municipality.

Those who defend the position of City Governor point out that Maputo is not just a municipality, but also enjoys the status of a province. There are aspects of governance that fall outside the powers of the City Council, and must be dealt with by the equivalent of a provincial government.

Asked about this "dual administration", Guebuza downplayed the problem, and said it was an opportunity to confront differing points of view "which will help solve the problems of Maputo City".