National industries and producers with a focus on exports could be excluded from the dual control of import and export operations for agricultural products. This possibility is being debated as part of the preparation of a new decree aimed at stimulating local industry and protecting the domestic market, the newspaper Noticias reported .
The representative of the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CIA), João Mathombe, revealed this Thursday (22) that the new document proposes the introduction of a single import and export certificate, a measure that will apply only to traders.
‘Industries, in turn, will be excluded from this requirement, which will allow for greater flexibility and protection through non-tariff mechanisms,’ he added.
Mathombe made these statements after a meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADER), under the guidance of its minister, Celso Correia, who led the consultation process for the new instrument, which aims to stimulate local industry.
In conclusion, the source said that the Ministry is conducting a public consultation process to ensure that the new regulation is widely accepted and effective in controlling and supervising the import and export of agricultural products.
For his part, the national director of Commercial Agriculture Promotion at MADER, Jaime Chissico, explained that the instrument being prepared aims to stimulate national production and industrialisation through the regulation and control of products such as rice, maize, beans and chicken.
‘In the trade balance, almost 1.4 billion US dollars are imported from agricultural products. Of this amount, more than 800 million dollars is spent on importing food products that can be produced locally,’ said Chissico, adding that the new decree will guarantee a policy of replacing this scenario, with the direct involvement of the private sector.
