Mozambique’s 45 extra-parliamentary parties defended on Thursday (13) that national shareholders should control at least 85% of operations in natural resource exploitation, ensuring direct benefits for citizens and for the country’s development.
The group’s representative, João Massango, stated that “the goal is to guarantee that Mozambique’s natural resources serve, first and foremost, national development and citizens’ well-being.” The position was presented during consultations held as part of the Inclusive National Dialogue.
According to Massango, the process is taking place without the National Alliance for a Free and Autonomous Mozambique (Anamola), led by Venâncio Mondlane, which rejects the results of the 2024 elections. Even so, the extra-parliamentary parties insist that natural resources must remain under the “full control” of the State.
Massango further argued that this control must be accompanied by a guarantee that “national shareholders hold at least 85% of operational control, promoting direct participation of Mozambicans in the management and profits generated from resource exploitation.” For the group, this condition strengthens economic sovereignty.
He reiterated the need for legislation ensuring that the largest share of gains from natural resource exploitation benefits citizens and local communities. “In this way, strategic resources will no longer serve as exclusive profit instruments for external investors,” he said, defending a more inclusive development model.
The parties also called for a reduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT), the Personal Income Tax (IRPS), and the Corporate Income Tax (IRPC). The objective is to create an economic environment that stimulates national production and increases citizens’ purchasing power.
“These measures aim to make Mozambique more attractive to entrepreneurs and businesses, while strengthening fiscal justice and sustainable development,” Massango explained, defending reforms that promote economic dynamism.
The smaller parties also advocated for the approval of a referendum law and a public action law, to allow citizens to influence decisions of national interest. These instruments, they said, ensure greater transparency, accountability, and reinforce participatory democracy.
In the area of defence, Massango proposed reintroducing professional, depoliticised republican defence forces committed to constitutional principles. He also highlighted the need to strengthen the technical and ethical training of the Armed Forces and of migration and customs services, ensuring forces that are “highly professional and non-partisan.”
This position comes after President Daniel Chapo promulgated in April the law on the Political Commitment for an Inclusive National Dialogue, following the post-electoral violence of 2024, which resulted in more than four hundred deaths and destruction of infrastructure. Anamola, excluded from the Technical Commission, has announced a parallel consultation process.
Source: Lusa
