Lawmakers from Portuguese-speaking countries called on Tuesday (2) in Maputo for the need to transform the energy potential of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) into concrete opportunities capable of boosting the economic and social development of communities, Lusa reported.
The position was presented during a meeting between representatives of the CPLP Parliamentary Assembly (AP-CPLP) and the Foundation for Business Competitiveness (Fundec), held within the framework of meetings that community parliamentarians have been holding in recent days in the Mozambican capital.
The meeting aimed to analyze Mozambique’s economic growth prospects. On the occasion, the leader of the Portuguese Parliament delegation to the AP-CPLP, Luís Moreira Testa, stressed that energy is both one of the main challenges and one of the greatest opportunities for the member countries of the community.
“Energy matters are both an obstacle to the development of CPLP countries and a major opportunity, because we are producers of energy sources,” said Luís Moreira Testa.
According to the Portuguese lawmaker, energy resources should be used to drive other sectors of the economy, ensuring more affordable energy and a more stable supply for productive activities.
“We must turn what has been a constraint on the development of other areas of the economy into an opportunity so that these same areas can develop within our community,” he said.
Luís Moreira Testa added that he leaves Maputo with a “very positive” message for the CPLP economy, considering that member states and their parliamentary delegations are “fully aligned” in the goal of building a stronger economic community capable of generating development, progress, and better living conditions for their citizens.
The Portuguese parliamentarian also highlighted the stability shown by CPLP countries in a global context marked by conflicts in various regions of the world, including the Middle East. In his view, the community serves as an example and should continue strengthening its work to consolidate this role.
For his part, the FRELIMO deputy, Feliz Silva, considered it “extremely important” to have a more active participation of CPLP parliaments in the economic life of their countries through the approval of laws and policies oriented toward development.
According to Feliz Silva, the meeting also discussed the need to create a policy for business and private sector mobility within the CPLP space, a measure that could facilitate investment, strengthen economic relations between member states, and accelerate their development.
