Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)
25 June 2009
Brussels — Mozambique's First Lady, Maria da Luz Guebuza, said in Brussels on Thursday that Mozambique remains committed to creating an ever more attractive business environment.
Speaking at the official opening of the 20th session of the Crans Montana Forum, Guebuza said Mozambique believes that an attractive business environment is key to winning the battle against poverty, and advancing to development.
"As a result, the country has benefited from investments in areas such as mining, industry, food processing, tourism, construction and services, particularly in ports and railways", she said. She regarded the country's presence at the Forum as an opportunity for Mozambique to share with other participating countries its business and investment potential.
Guebuza declared that it is thanks to a good business environment that Mozambique has proved able to attract investments to rebuild socio-economic infrastructures and for industrial mega-projects.
She informed the 600 delegates to this meeting that, with economic growth and macro-economic stability, Mozambique has been able to reduce the number of people living below the poverty line from 67 per cent in 1997 to 54 per cent in 2003. This year, it is expected that the figure will fall to 45 per cent.
"Recent experiences show that we are on the right path", she said. "Peace and stability, policies aimed at macro-economic stabilization, fiscal incentives, the existence of enormous natural resources, the country's geo-strategic position, and its hard working people together constitute a combination of ideal factors for the success of any investment and business".
The Crans Montana Forum is a Swiss international organization, taking its name from the place in Switzerland where it was set up in 1986. Supported by the Swiss government, it proclaims its goals as "to contribute to the construction of a more humane world". Its website states that the Forum "works for the promotion of international cooperation and contributes to global growth while ensuring a high level of stability, equity and security".
Mozambique is the "guest country" at this year's meeting, with the right to present its investment potential and to participate in the various events taking place alongside the main meeting.
In his opening speech, the founder and chairperson of the Forum, Jean-Paul Carteron, congratulated the Mozambican government on its poverty reduction efforts. This was why, he added, the forum had awarded prizes to President Armando Guebuza and his wife, which will be formally delivered at a ceremony on Friday.
Carteron declared that in the coming years the forum will turn its attention to the issue of a fairer share-out of global wealth with the poor countries, and the promotion of human dignity and of minimum living standards,
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