Maputo — Mozambican Prime Minister Benvinda Levi believes that the country's economic development depends on hard work and commitment to the country's goals, strengthened by "dedication, sacrifice and good leadership.'
She was speaking on Monday, in Maputo, at a ceremony in which she swore into office Luís Machava as director-general of the Investment and Export Promotion Agency (APIEX).
Levi also swore into office Feliz Malate as director-general of the Institute for the Promotion of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (IPEME; Luís Fazenda as director-general of the Mozambican Grain Institute (ICM); and Hilário Pereira as director-general of the Central Regional Water Board (ARA-Centro).
According to the Prime Minister, the selection of these people to become general directors is related to their competence and responsibility to deal with the challenges facing each institution.
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"It is our expectation that APIEX will continue to consolidate its role as a gateway for investment in our country. It is crucial to ensure that approved projects are implemented in a timely manner. We must strengthen the mechanisms for promoting business opportunities and contributing actively to industrialization', she said.
She also stressed the need to put into effective operation special economic zones, critical instruments for gradually reducing imports and increasing exports.
Levi declared that IPEME represents the backbone of the Mozambican economy and plays an important role in social development. She recalled that this is a sector that guarantees jobs and creates essential value chains.
"The new general director must urgently strengthen technical assistance, expand business incubators and mobilize financial resources to support the modernization of small businesses', she said. "It is in this universe of small and medium-sized enterprises that the true potential for economic diversification lies'.
Regarding ICM, Levi said that it is vital for food security, acting as an agricultural marketing agent of last resort and guaranteeing strategic reserves.
"The ICM director-general must modernize the logistics, management, and marketing of grain, working closely with the public and private sectors. Improving the agricultural purchasing, storage, and distribution system will contribute to strengthening national food reserves, ensuring food security, and stabilizing prices in the domestic market', she said.
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The Prime Minister also said that ARA-Centro must continue guaranteeing access to drinking water, and protect essential infrastructure, "implementing concrete actions to mitigate floods and droughts, preserve water quality, and modernize water infrastructure.'
