Maputo — The Mozambican Government and its cooperation partners have spent so far 704 million dollars in the reconstruction of the central province of Sofala, which was hit by Cyclone Idai in March 2019.
According to the government spokesperson and Deputy Justice Minister, Filimão Suaze, speaking on Tuesday, in Maputo, at the end of the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers (Cabinet), the amount spent corresponds to only 56 per cent compliance with the Post-Cyclone Reconstruction Programme (PREPOC).
"Right now, there is an estimated balance of 526.77 million dollars in the coffers to be spent by 2026', he said.
He explained that the government had mobilized additional funds equivalent to 71 million dollars, 16 million of which came from the African Development Bank, about 30 million dollars from the World Bank and 25 million from the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation from Taiwan.
"All the amounts mobilized are being used for the rehabilitation of social and other infrastructures, according to the plan approved with the cooperation partners. PREPOC has completed the construction of 5,750 new homes, and has handed them over to beneficiaries. It has built and rehabilitated around 3,269 classrooms, out of a total of 4,745 destroyed', he said.
According to Suaze, 4,154 kilometers of road and 28 bridges have been restored. 1,066 kilometers of electricity transmission lines have been repaired, out of a total of 1,352 kilometers that were destroyed.
"In the water supply and sanitation sector, the programme is currently distributing drinking water to at least 43,403 beneficiaries, exceeding the planned target of 21,000', Suaze said.
Idai was one of the worst cyclones to hit southern Africa. It caused severe flooding in Mozambique, Madagascar, Malawi and Zimbabwe, causing at least 1,593 deaths. Five years later, the signs of cyclone devastation in Sofala are still clear.
At the same session of the Council of Ministers, Suaze said that the government, under the Emprega Programme (program for employment), has empowered at least 3,850 companies run by young people, of which 550 are being financed with sums of up to 750 million meticais.
"In terms of promoting self-employment, Emprega has made 20,750 professional training grants available. Around 4,900 young entrepreneurs are receiving funding to move from the informal to the formal sectors', he said.
