The Mozambican government has revealed that it faces an annual shortfall of 37 billion meticais (approximately 573.9 million USD) to fund the construction and maintenance of roads across the country—a deficit that compromises economic development and connectivity with neighboring countries.
“To ensure a safe and well-maintained road network, 53 billion meticais (822.2 million USD) are needed. However, the average amount allocated to the sector is only about 16 billion meticais (248.2 million USD),” said Chinguane Mabote, the Secretary of State for Transport.
He made the remarks on the sidelines of the annual review meeting of the Integrated Road Sector Program, held on Thursday, June 5, in Maputo. Mabote emphasized the need for a “rational” use of limited funds, advocating for a better balance between project outcomes and the value of the investment.
“The resources allocated annually cover only about 30% of the sector’s needs,” he added, according to a report by the Lusa news agency.
Data cited by the Portuguese agency show that Mozambique has a road network of 30,464 kilometers, of which only 7,344 kilometers are paved—just about 25% of the total.
In the past, the Confederation of Economic Associations (CTA) expressed concern from the business sector regarding the poor condition of national roads, stating that this increases operational costs and harms business performance.
At the time, the CTA’s executive director, Eduardo Sengo, explained that
“In recent years, business costs have increased by over 40%, and in the case of Cabo Delgado, costs have risen by more than 60%, largely due to longer travel times caused by poor road conditions.”
“Longer travel times mean higher operational costs, which in turn drive up product prices. In addition, security concerns have made some areas in Cabo Delgado high-risk zones for cargo vehicles,” he stressed.
Source: Diário Económico
