After being sworn in as Mozambican President this Wednesday, 15 January, Daniel Chapo expressed his intention to reform the real estate sector to ensure housing affordability in the country, thus recognising the difficulty national citizens have in owning a home.
‘Access to housing continues to be a challenge for young people in urban centres. In rural areas, there is a need to transform the standard of housing, especially in areas vulnerable to natural disasters. In this area, we will regulate the real estate market to reduce the cost of housing and materialise land infrastructure,’ promised the head of state.
The new President guaranteed that his government will reform legislation in the property sector: ‘We will introduce specific tax packages and increase taxes on the import of materials that can be produced locally. With the Order of Engineers, we will finalise regulations for the standardisation of building materials.’
Also in his speech, Daniel Chapo referred to the initiatives he will be carrying out in the tourism sector, promising to reform the visa system to attract tourists and investors, extending exemptions and simplifying processes.
‘We will improve operational and procedural conditions at points of entry, making our airports welcoming places that reflect the hospitality of the people, without neglecting security aspects,’ he assured.
Access to housing remains a challenge for young people in urban centres.In rural areas, there is a need to transform the standard of housing, especially in areas vulnerable to natural disasters.In this area, we will regulate the property market to reduce the cost of housing and materialise the infrastructure of the land
Unemployment, which still ‘takes many people’s sleep away’, was also a point of reference in the speech by the new head of state, who advocates revising labour laws to make them more flexible and capable of creating jobs.
‘We will create an Unemployment and Social Protection Fund, which protects workers in the event of structural changes and reduces companies’ costs. We will allow qualified foreign labour to be hired and we will introduce a special five-year work visa for specialists so that they can transfer their knowledge to Mozambican youth,’ he announced.
Chapo also intends to strengthen the financial market by requiring banks and insurance companies to be listed on the local stock exchange, thus allowing Mozambicans to become shareholders and reinvest in the economy.
‘We will simplify procedural legislation, allowing the winners of lawsuits to be reimbursed for all costs and facilitating notifications between the parties directly. We will liberalise notarial services in commercial premises and implement simple notarial functions, free of charge for the population, facilitating access to essential services,’ he pointed out.
Regarding one of the most talked about sectors in the country – oil and gas – Chapo said: ‘We are going to create an Oil Sector Transparency Forum, an institution that will include members of the government, civil society and other interested parties to discuss and analyse contracts, state earnings and monitor the use of oil and gas revenues.’

The new Mozambican President explained that the active participation of civil society in the proposed allocation of the sector’s funds aims to contribute to an environment of transparency and strengthen public trust, just as ‘we have already started with the Sovereign Fund.’
With this set of reforms, the President intends to set a reformist tone at the start of his term, focusing on modernising the state, stimulating the economy and rigorous management of public resources. The impact of these measures will now be assessed by their implementation and the results they will bring to Mozambicans.
Next Friday, the new ministries and their heads will be announced and the new dynamics brought about by the presentation of the government’s programme will begin to emerge.
Text: Nário Sixpene