The Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (MIREME) is implementing a package of legislative reforms that includes the revision of the Mining Law, the Petroleum Law, and the Local Content Law, with the aim of ensuring the sustainable exploitation of natural resources and promoting local processing and industrialization within Mozambique.
According to the Mozambique News Agency (AIM), the information was announced on Thursday, October 30, in Maputo, by António Manda, Permanent Secretary of MIREME, during the opening of the First International Conference on “Natural Resource Management and Economic Development in Africa – Challenges and Perspectives,” organized by the Mutasa Higher Institute (ISMU).
According to Manda, the reforms follow directives from the President of the Republic, Daniel Chapo, who instructed the ministry to urgently revise the sector’s legal framework to ensure that natural resources contribute more significantly to the country’s development.
“This process coincides with an intense period of reforms in the mineral resources and energy sectors, marked by the revision of the Mining Law, the Petroleum Law, and the drafting of the Local Content Law and its respective regulations. These legal instruments will prioritize sustainable exploitation and industrialization through local processing,” he stated.
The official explained that the revision stems from the realization that the current legal framework does not guarantee sufficient retention of the wealth generated within the country.
“Our President, shortly after taking office, instructed this Ministry to urgently review the Mining and Petroleum Laws because, in their current form, they do not benefit the country. We cannot achieve meaningful Local Content gains without an appropriate legal framework,” he emphasized.
According to Manda, the government carried out broad public consultations involving all provinces and academic institutions to ensure that the reforms reflect national interests.
“We held public discussions across all provinces, gathered input from universities and local communities. The legal instruments are now nearly finalized and will be submitted to the Council of Ministers and subsequently to the National Assembly,” he explained.
The official stressed that approval of these laws “must happen urgently,” given their impact on the sovereign and sustainable management of natural resources. Mozambique holds a strategic position in Southern Africa, with vast energy and logistical potential, including natural gas, a variety of minerals, forests, water resources, and biodiversity. Manda argued that this potential must be transformed into “real prosperity for Mozambicans.”
“Several African countries are now investing in domestic industrialization. Burkina Faso, for example, stopped exporting raw gold and built processing plants. Mozambique is a sovereign country and capable of doing the same — it only needs to adjust its laws,” stated the Permanent Secretary.
Meanwhile, Hortêncio Comissal, representative of the Ministry of Education and Culture, urged academia and young researchers to actively participate in the rational and sustainable exploitation of natural resources.
“We want an academic community committed not only to teaching but also to impactful scientific research that helps the government and society make evidence-based decisions,” he said.
The conference, held in Maputo, brings together academics, researchers, government officials, and private sector representatives to share experiences and propose measures that strengthen the role of natural resources in the sustainable development of Mozambique and Africa.
Source: Diário Económico
