The executive secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Elias Magosi, urged the Government on Tuesday, September 9, to ratify and adhere to regional legal instruments in order to boost trade and support countries with lower financial capacity.
“We are talking about how we can facilitate trade among ourselves, as member states of our region. The key point is to remove many bottlenecks and approve our instruments,” said the official after meeting with the President of the Republic, Daniel Chapo, in Maputo.
According to a statement from the Presidency, quoted by Lusa, among the mechanisms available, Magosi highlighted the Trade Protocol and the Regional Development Fund, stressing the importance of Mozambique ratifying the fund—which supports countries lacking financing capacity—and the protocol, considered essential to strengthening trade integration.
Elias Magosi also praised the progress achieved by the country in boosting the Nacala transport corridor in Nampula and the Beira corridor in Sofala, initiatives supported by the African Development Bank and Africa50. “When one-stop border posts function, trade circulates easily, people circulate easily, and capital flows quickly between countries,” he emphasized.
Instability in Cabo Delgado, a province rich in gas and the scene of armed attacks since 2017 claimed by groups associated with the self-proclaimed Islamic State, was also a focus. The SADC executive secretary commended the Government’s efforts to contain the violence, arguing that security is essential for local development and for the implementation of large-scale economic projects.
SADC, created in 1992, is composed of 16 member states, including Mozambique. Over the last five years, the country’s trade balance with African partners has grown by 66%, reaching 7.1 billion dollars (454.4 billion meticais), although it remains in deficit overall, according to official data.
Despite economic growth, violence continues to mark daily life in Cabo Delgado: just in July, 29 people were killed and 208,000 were affected by attacks, according to the UN. In 2024, there were 349 deaths, a 36% increase compared to the previous year, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
Source: Diário Económico
