The Mozambican government on Thursday called for stronger ties between the public administration and citizens, arguing that the quality of state services should be measured by their capacity to meet the concrete needs of the population — not by the size of institutions or the number of civil servants.
According to Lusa, the position was presented by the Minister of State Administration and Public Service, Inocêncio Impissa, at a multisectoral seminar held in Maputo under the theme ‘For Good Public Administration and Freedom of Expression: Pillars for Transparency, Integrity and Citizen Participation.’
At the event, the minister argued that the principles of good public administration, transparency, freedom of expression, and institutional communication must move beyond the theoretical realm and be translated into concrete instruments capable of promoting a more just society and more efficient governance.
‘The quality of public administration services is not measured solely by the scale of its structures, the number of its employees, or the volume of services it provides; it is measured by our capacity to respond to the concrete needs of society, by the way we treat every person who seeks state services, and by the trust we build in the relationship between the state and society,’ Impissa said.
According to Impissa, institutional communication that is coordinated, clear, simple, accessible, and accountable is an essential element for reinforcing the credibility of information produced by the state and strengthening public confidence in government institutions.
The minister stated that bringing public administration closer to citizens depends not only on improving service delivery, but also on how the state communicates and engages with society.
The seminar brought together representatives from government, public administration institutions, academics, civil society organisations, and development partners — including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) — to discuss the role of good governance, transparency, and citizen participation in strengthening public institutions.
During the event, the Ombudsman, Isaque Chande, also argued that the ongoing digital transformation process in the country should make public administration more efficient and facilitate citizen access to state services by reducing waiting times and simplifying administrative procedures.
UNDP’s representative in Mozambique, Kátia Cobarrubias, stated that trust between the state and citizens is one of the most important assets for development, reaffirming the UN agency’s commitment to continuing to support Mozambique in advancing good governance, the rule of law, and the continuous improvement of public services.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/07/16/desenvolvimento-2/governo-apela-a-uma-administracao-publica-mais-proxima-e-eficaz/
