Mozambique: Guebuza Calls for Struggle Against Counterfeit Goods
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Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)
22 August 2008
Posted to the web 23 August 2008
Maputo
Counterfeit and pirated goods are a serious threat to the Mozambican economy and to the legitimate business class, warned President Armando Guebuza on Thursday night.
Speaking at a gala dinner marking the 15th anniversary of the company "Boutiques de Maputo", Guebuza said that the sale of counterfeit goods damages the name of Mozambique and "frustrates those who invest in what is genuine and in creativity".
Counterfeit goods, he added, give the impression that they are cheap, but because of their poor quality, "citizens end up paying more than they would have paid for the original product, because they find themselves obliged to buy the same thing twice in a short period".
Furthermore, counterfeit can be dangerous. Guebuza noted that fake cosmetics can damage their users' health, while counterfeit automobile parts can cause accidents, and phoney electrical goods can lead to fires.
"The goods that result from counterfeit and piracy do not contribute to the state's coffers, because they come from an industry which is beyond the control of formal institutions", Guebuza said.
He urged Mozambican citizens to take up the fight against counterfeit goods "as your personal challenge. Let's buy original, genuine products. Let's contribute to the social and economic development of Mozambique".
Guebuza also praised the founder of "Boutiques de Maputo", Abilio Soeiro, for building his company from nothing, by relying essentially on his own efforts. The loans he obtained from wealthy friends were "complementary to his own achievements in making his dreams a reality".
All Mozambicans should have the same attitude, the President said, and should understand that "the development of Mozambique depends solely on Mozambicans. Nobody else will carry through our national agenda in the fight against poverty".
"Like Abilio Soeiro, we have many friends. Like him, we receive support from various partners", he continued. "But we cannot delegate to our friends the liberating epic in which we are involved. We receive support from our partners and friends with much gratitude, because this is an important complement to what we ourselves have the obligation to undertake".
Guebuza declared that his vision of development is a process "in which the participation of each and every Mozambican is encouraged and valued. We believe in the creative initiative of Mozambicans and their capacity to commit themselves to building a Mozambique where today is better than yesterday, and tomorrow will be better than today".
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Copyright © 2008 Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
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