Suppliers of election materials have stopped providing services because of accumulated debts, delaying the organization of the general elections scheduled for 9 October, National Elections Commission (CNE) chair Carlos Matsinhe said Tuesday in Inhambane

The CNE has not paid its suppliers since last year, and the debt has $54mn (3.4bn meticais) (equivalent to 54 million US dollars). This includes allowances and expenses not paid to the members of the provincial and district election bodies for municipal elections last year and members of voter registration brigades this year.

Matsinhe said that the suppliers of goods to the election bodies are no longer agreeing to provide any services before the existing debts are paid. Matsinhe gave no details, but CIP Eleicoes can reveal six companies contracted to supply electoral equipment, with bids opened 3 August 2023:
   Vision investments - Metallic trunks
   Sotux - Voting booths
   Escopil Holding - Ballot boxes
   Academica - polling station kits and staff training
   Labsoft - App to ascertain election results and manage candidatures
   MHL Auto - Vehicles

In February, the CNE announced that, out of the $310mn (20bn meticais) of the overall budget for both last year’s municipal elections and the general elections of 9 October, the government had only made available $100mn (6.5bn meticais).

Government is clearly desperately short of money. IMF resident representative Alexis Meyer-Cirkel, yesterday told a Maputo meeting that of the total public revenue collected by the government, 73% is used to pay the salaries of state employees and 20% is used to service the public debt. That leaves 7% of income plus aid and loans to fund everything else. And because of ongoing fraud such as registering so many ghost voters, donors are unwilling to fund elections. Matsinhe seems to be hoping for last minute EU and other donor funding, but it seems unlikely-.