Maputo — Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi has warned against exaggerated expectations of the revenue that will be generated by liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the gas fields in the Rovuma Basin, off the coast of the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
At a meeting in the southern province of Inhambane, with newly elected members of the Central Committee of the ruling Frelimo Party, reported in Monday's issue of the independent newssheet "Mediafax", Nyusi warned that the revenue expected from LNG between now and 2024 will not even be enough for the full rehabilitation of the main north-south highway (EN1).
"This is a problem that must be understood, comrades", said Nyusi. "The gas from the Coral South Floating LNG Project is not even enough to repair the EN1. What we will receive, if we are lucky, is no more than 30 million dollars this year".
Gas revenue in 2023 and 2024 will be higher, but Nyusi put it at no more than 100 million dollars a year. If we obtain 100 million dollars a year, that will be very good", he said, "but that may not always happen".
So the President urged his listeners not to place all their hopes in LNG.
"It's not even enough to fix the road from here in Inhambane to Maputo", he said
Nor was it true that the planned Sovereign Wealth Fund would miraculously produce a flood of money for the state budget. The only way forward, Nyusi insisted, was to diversify the Mozambican economy. "If we don't, we shall be killing ourselves in vain here for something which is not as big as we imagine".
Revenue collection for 2023 is projected at 350 billion meticais (about 5.5 billion US dollars), but only 0.3 per cent of this will come from LNG.
Nyusi warned that it will be another ten years before really large sums from LNG start flowing into the state's coffers. The only Rovuma Basin LNG project now in production is the smallest one - the floating LNG platform built in a Korean shipyard and towed to the Mozambique Channel.
Much larger onshore LNG projects are planned for the Afungi peninsula in Palma district - but can only resume once the security situation in Cabo Delgado improves. The French company TotalEnergies has made it clear that LNG production in Afungi is dependent on security conditions.
The forecast is that the Coral South LNG floating platform will produce 19 billion US dollars in revenue over the next 25 years.
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*MANICA: POLICE LAUNCH MANHUNT FOR DRIVER OF TANKER CARRYING 99 ILLEGAL MIGRANTS*
Guro (Mozambique), 24 Oct (AIM) - The Mozambican Police (PRM) have launched a manhunt for a Malawian national, driver of the tanker truck seized on Saturday (22), in Guro district, central Mozambican province of Manica, while carrying 99 illegal migrants.
The truck was on its way to the town of Beira, in the neighbouring province of Sofala. However, was unable to reach its destination because was intercepted by the police at a check point.
Inside the tanker the police and migration authorities found hidden 99 individuals, 90 men and nine women, all Malawian nationals.
PRM spokesman in Manica, Mateus Mindu, said to reporters this Monday (24) in Guro district that the force is already in possession of the driver's identity and all operational lines have been activated for his arrest and criminal accountability.
"We know a Malawian national was driving the truck carrying 99 people who entered Mozambique illegally. They were bound for South Africa. In exchange, the driver would receive 2,500 rands for each person," explained Mindu.
Mindu believes the events of Saturday are part of a larger and sophisticated network that includes Mozambicans who facilitate the entry of illegal foreigners into the country.
Most migrants use Mozambique as a springboard to reach South Africa, while others, a minority, settle in Mozambique where they get involved in the informal market.
"We have launched all our operational lines to arrest the driver and, if possible, identify other members of the network of facilitators. We believe that this is not the first time this driver has committed this illegal type of crime," said Mindu.
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"We note that all migrants are in good health. We are now busy working to repatriate them to their home country. A criminal case has been opened and those accused of this practice will be brought to justice", he explained.
Mindu declared that PRM, with the involvement of other institutions, is cracking down on illegal immigration in the country, particularly along the main roads that cross Manica province.
One of the illegal immigrants, who spoke to journalists, said that they got inside the truck while still on Malawian territory and their final destination was the neighbouring South Africa where they hoped to find better living standards.
"We left Malawi inside the tanker. Our destination was South Africa to look for jobs. In our country life is tough. That is why we tried at all costs to go to South Africa. I have children who stayed back in Malawi," he said.
This is one of the largest joint operations launched this year involving the Mozambican police, Migration Services and other entities to curb illegal immigration.
