Maputo, Mozambique — Mozambique and Sweden have signed two agreements under which the latter is to make available some 95 million Swedish crowns (about 9.5 million US dollars) to support the public sector in the northernmost province of Niassa.

The money will also be used for an electrification project in Morrumbala district, in the central province of Zambezia.

According to a press release from the Mozambican Foreign Ministry Tuesday, about 5.5 million US dollars is to be earmarked for capacity building in Niassa, and the improvement of public administration both in Lichinga city, the provincial capital, and in several pilot districts during the 2001-2003 period.

The remaining four million US dollars is to finance the electrification project in Morrumbala, which is to run until December 2002.

The agreements were signed on 15 March by Foreign Minister Leonardo Simao, and the Swedish ambassador in Maputo, Erik Aberg.