The World Bank is to disburse US$300 million in support for the Mozambican state budget. The World Bank country director for Mozambique, Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough, announced the figure at a Maputo press conference on 11 May, immediately after a meeting with the Minister of Economy and Finance, Max Tonela.

Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough said the priority areas for World Bank investment would be health, education, energy, and agriculture. She pointed out that "we are talking about a first instalment of US$300 million, which we hope to take to our administration for approval by 30 June this year. Then we can consider other windows of financing for 2023 and 2024".

The priority areas for those years, she added, would depend on the reforms undertaken by the government.

Unlike many of Mozambique's partners, the World Bank did not cut off financial assistance entirely after the scandal of Mozambique's "hidden debts" became public knowledge in 2016. World Bank aid continued, but in relatively small amounts, project by project. Now the Bank will return to providing direct budget support. Pswarayi-Riddihough said that the improvement in good governance recorded in recent years contributed to the resumption of World Bank support. Major work had been undertaken around questions of transparency and good governance, she noted - but noted that civil society is continuing to demand greater advances in these areas.

Mozambique's new programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), she added, could give "a strong signal to the market. Indeed, it will send a strong signal to all of Mozambique's partners".