The Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Carlos Zacarias, defended this Monday, 14 August, a “visible contribution” of the exploitation of the potential of the area in the life of the population and the development of the country.
The minister was speaking during the opening of the 8th Coordinating Council of the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (MIREME), which kicked off yesterday in the city of Lichinga, Niassa province, and said that “the wide value chain associated with mineral resources and energy continuously feeds society’s expectations for a visible contribution of our sector in the economic and social development of the country”.
“It is necessary to adjust and adapt our actions as a sector responsible for promoting the development and exploitation of mineral and energy resources existing in abundance in the country,” emphasised Carlos Zacarias, stressing that the Mozambican population expects to see natural resources generate gains in their quality of life.
The minister pointed to hydrocarbons as an asset for Mozambique’s social and economic development. “Mineral resources will largely contribute to a better future for our country,” adding that “we must have a better strategic vision of how their exploitation should be done, to ensure the maximisation of benefits for the country and Mozambicans.”
The official’s call for the gains from natural resources to be exploited in favour of communities is made in a context in which several civil society organisations have criticised what they consider a tax regime that is too favourable to multinationals involved in hydrocarbon exploration in the country.
