Maputo — The Mozambican government has forecast that the economy will grow by seven per cent this year - considerably higher than the five per cent forecast in the government's own Economic and Social Plan for 2023.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, after the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers (Cabinet), the government spokesperson, Deputy Justice Minister Filimao Suaze, attributed this improvement to faster than expected growth in the world economy, as it emerges from the depression caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Mozambique, the country was recovering, not only from the pandemic, but also from recent natural disasters such as Cyclone Freddy, which affected over 1.3 million people. Nonetheless, the latest statistics indicate increased economic growth.

Mozambique was no exception to the general trend of post-pandemic recovery, said Suaze.

"Our optimism is expressed by this re-animation of our economy', he added. "The scenarios we have for revenue collection, and for the functioning of our fiscal scenario as a whole, lead to an optimism which I think is justified if we look at the post-Covid world'.

As for the possibility of a strike by the country's doctors, Suaze minimized the threat, saying that the government has always shown its willingness to enter into dialogue with the staff in all sectors of the public administration, and the health serviced was no exception.

Suaze promised that "the State will take precautionary measures so that no damage is caused to our population'.