Maputo — The Mozambican government has banned, as from 31 December, the import of any equipment that uses substances that damage the ozone layer.

The government spokesperson, Deputy Education Minister Luis Covane, told reporters on Tuesday that this decision was part of the government's implementation of the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the subsequent Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The Mozambican parliament ratified these treaties in 1993.

The substances concerned are known by the scientific term halogenated hydrocarbons. The most significant groups are the Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)and the Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).

The production of most CFCs has already been phased out, and the Montreal Protocol envisages phasing out HCFCs by 2013.

"As from now", said Covane, "we do want Mozambican importers to acquire, for example, refrigerators or air conditioners that use these substances" (although existing stocks of these goods may be sold).

The government must now ensure that customs staff can recognise the equipment which uses ozone depleting substances and ensure that it does not enter the country.

It is expected that the older types of fridges or air conditioners that use CFCs or HCFCs will gradually disappear from the market, to be replaced by newer models that offer no threat to the ozone layer.

The ozone layer in the stratosphere protects the surface of the planet against the ultra-violet radiation from the sun. It absorbs over 93 per cent of the ultra-violet radiation.