The implementation of Mozambique’s new decentralised governance model could allow the State to save around USD 17 million per year by eliminating parallel administrative structures and simplifying the organisation of provincial bodies.
According to Lusa, the outlook was highlighted by President Daniel Chapo during the swearing-in ceremony of the State Secretaries for the provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula, and Inhambane, held this Tuesday (16) in Maputo.
The Head of State said the decentralisation reform represents a key step toward improving the efficiency of public administration and clarifying the responsibilities of different provincial governance bodies.
“It is imperative that provincial State Secretaries ensure strict compliance, in both spirit and letter, with the new legislative package on provincial decentralised governance,” Daniel Chapo stated.
The new legislation, approved by the Assembly of the Republic in April and recently promulgated by the President, provides for the abolition of the current provincial State representation services, whose responsibilities will gradually be transferred to Provincial Executive Councils led by elected governors.
According to previously released official information, the reform will eliminate institutional overlap and reduce conflicts of competence between State representation bodies and provincial executive bodies, contributing to more efficient public resource management.
Chapo stressed that the reform fulfils a commitment made to Mozambicans at the beginning of his presidential term, advocating for a more functional public administration that is closer to citizens and results-oriented.
The President also noted that State Secretaries will continue to perform functions related to the representation of central authority, overseeing areas considered exclusive to State sovereignty and ensuring coordination between central and provincial institutions.
During the ceremony, he also highlighted challenges facing Cabo Delgado, Nampula, and Inhambane, including issues related to security, organised crime, illegal immigration, illegal mining, illegal fishing, and drug trafficking.
In Cabo Delgado and some districts of Nampula in particular, Chapo pointed to the need to strengthen responses to instability caused by armed attacks that continue to affect parts of northern Mozambique. He also called for stronger coordination between provincial bodies in preventing and responding to natural disasters, urging the adoption of structured action plans aligned with Provincial Executive Councils.
Source: Diário Económico
