Two Mozambican analysts told Lusa Wednesday, May 3, that visa exemption for citizens of 29 countries, including Portugal, will have a limited effect on attracting investment if it fails to combat bureaucracy and corruption in public administration.
Since 1 May, business and tourism visitors on the list of countries announced by the government no longer need a visa to enter Mozambique, simply by paying a fee of 650 meticais at the airport, presenting a return ticket and proof of accommodation.
For economist and analyst Elcídio Bachita, in practice, “it is necessary to fight corruption and bureaucratism”.
“I think that the Mozambican State still has a lot of work to do in this area,” he said.
According to Bachita, public servants resort to bureaucracy and corruption due to the low salaries they receive, which limits what he considers to be a reformist impulse of the measures being taken by the Mozambican Executive.
On the other hand, he continued, it is important that public servants are trained and informed about the importance of simplifying procedures for entering national territory in order to stimulate investment, business and employment.
“The State leaders should make the civil servants aware of the importance of being quicker and more expedite in the processing of files and in the dispatch of several requests for entry into the country,” said Bachita.
Emphasizing that only the agility of the travel procedures to Mozambique is not enough to make the country attractive, he admitted, however, that the decision constitutes “a gigantic step”, mainly for tourism.
The measure, he continued, could raise the contribution of the leisure sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is currently below 10 percent.
Meanwhile, the economist welcomed the boldness of the visa exemption in favour of citizens of the 29 countries, noting that this step reinforces the substance of the Economic Acceleration Package of Measures (SAP) announced in August 2022 by the President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi.
In his turn, the executive director of the Association of Commerce, Industry and Service (ACIS), Edson Chichongue, advocated more measures to support the entry of investors in Mozambique, including access to the Residence Identification Document for Foreigners (DIRE), along with the fight against corruption, aimed at making the business environment more appetising.
“Taking this measure is not enough, in a situation where there are no actions on the ground to combat corruption” in public administration, he stressed, recognising that the decision “is good, theoretically,” but it remains to be seen what the practical effect will be.
On the other hand, the executive director of ACIS pointed out the need to harmonise procedures in order to eliminate contradictions in the requirements imposed on foreigners by different state bodies.
Edson Chichongue also pointed out the need for training of State officials to act in a way that is favourable to business and investors in the country, noting that there have been situations in which requirements are demanded that are outside the law.
The source argued that the public administration should be severe with “prevaricate” officials who use “delaying tactics” to force investors and tourists to pay bribes.
