SPEED supports the Government of Mozambique’s efforts to improve its ranking in the Doing Business (DB) report including “paying taxes[1]“, one of DB’s indicators. SPEED concluded the Paying Taxes assessment in 2013, in response to CTA demand.
Previous Publications
There is strong evidence around the world that air travel liberalization has important benefits for the tourism sector and the entire economy of a country. Evidence supports that liberalization of air services between countries generates significant additional opportunities for economic growth and job creation.
On November 28, 2013, the following document was posted: “2013 speed 025 The Evolution of the Business Environment in Mozambique1996 – 2013 EN”. This is an assessment of efforts made to improve business environment and strengthen the private sector in Mozambique. Confirming the views of different stakeholders, the report indicates that limited reforms in the past 18 years have not resulted in substantive change for most businesses. The pace of reform appears to have stagnated, despite government, private sector and development partners ‘investments of f around US$10 billion to improve the business environment.
Based on studies undertaken into the resource boom in the labor, agriculture, manufacturing and tourism sectors SPEED commissioned a Note about Dutch disease, its impact on other economies and possible ways of managing it. The Note provides a discussion of Dutch disease as a concept and then analyzes its impacts in Indonesia, Nigeria, Angola and Chile, as well as providing suggestions for policy options for managing Dutch disease in the Mozambican context
In recent years, African countries have demonstrated renewed commitment to industrialization as part of a broader agenda to diversify their economies, build resilience to shocks, expand productive capacity for high and sustained economic growth, create employment opportunities and contribute to poverty reduction. This commitment is also evident at the regional level, with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), which recognizes the need for Africa economic transformation through industrialization, and the African Heads of State agreeing to a Plan of Action for the Accelerated Industrial Development of Africa (AIDA) in 2008. Underpinning this, is the belief that industrialization has the potential to promote long-term sustainable development and to generate productive jobs and livelihoods for the large number of young people entering the labor force each year. However, pitfalls from past industrial policies should be avoided.
In late 2013 the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Trade and Environment presented a draft law on Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition for public debate. The draft law raised significant concerns among business and the donors community particularly in respect of its potential impact on the development of the private sector. Therefore the SPEED Program is supporting its partners, the Ministry of Agriculture and CTA to develop a legal review of the draft law and an economic analysis of the potential impacts were it promulgated. The results of this work are included below.
Mozambique has succeeded in attracting a significant tourism investment in recent years resulting in an increased and relatively diversified tourism offer in comparison to the scope of the national industry prior to 2004. Tourism demand in the country is largely based on its biodiversity, unique cultural heritage and the relative under-commercialization of it natural assets. Due to its proximity to South Africa, Mozambique currently captures a significant portion of its international leisure market share as an add-on destination for visitors to South Africa. However, the country is increasingly being seen as a stand-alone destination for world travellers with a preference for environmentally-responsible tourism. Tourism supply in Mozambique is centered on two key market segments, namely (i) business, and (ii) sun, sea and sand (SSS) leisure. Despite a call for foreign and national investment in Mozambique’s tourism sector, realization of such investment throughout the country has been hampered by several key constraints including: excessive bureaucracy, persistent corruption, difficulties in securing land tenure for development, land usage conflicts, lack of infrastructural and administrative support and restricted access to financing.
Mozambique has consistently figured among the top ten African countries, ranked by economic growth rates, for over a decade. Prospects indicate that this growth pattern will be sustained in the coming years, fueled by the resource boom. How can this opportunity be capitalized upon so as not to jeopardize the livelihoods of 80% of the population who rely on the agriculture economy? What must Mozambique do now, to forestall the potential onset of what is commonly referred to as “Dutch disease,” that is, the shock to a country’s economy that can result from failure to properly manage the foreign exchange revenues generated by a natural resource boom?
Through the policy reforms committed to under the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, the Government of Mozambique has pledged to “cease the free distribution on free and unimproved Seeds” as to allow for a more private sector driven market. In 2014, SPEED, INOVAGRO and the Ministry of Agriculture jointly host the National Seeds Conference, A key output of which was the establishment of the National Seeds Mutli Stakeholder Platform. This group has now developed the below action plan as to implement policies that seek to liberalize the seed market.