The integration of local content into Mozambique’s oil industry development policies emerged as a key idea at the first panel promoted by the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN) this Thursday, 25 April, in Maputo. The event, which brought together experts from the sector, including representatives from Sasol Mozambique and the National Hydrocarbons Company (ENH), emphasised the urgency of aligning strategies and guidelines with the country’s economic advancement goals.
Júlia Dias, director of ENH’s Legal Office, representing the government, emphasised the importance of converting natural wealth into benefits for Mozambicans, indicating that each project in the sector must make a significant contribution to the local economy. “Our legal regime, despite not specifying a local content law, already includes mechanisms that favour national labour and the supply of local goods and services,” she explained, highlighting the continuous evolution of policies to respond effectively to present and future needs.
She also detailed the state’s active role in training local labour and encouraging strategic partnerships. “We identify technical and managerial training as fundamental so that Mozambicans are not just spectators, but key players in the exploitation of the country’s energy resources,” she emphasised. “ENH is committed to establishing strategic partnerships and developing programmes that ensure the professional growth of our citizens within this sector,” he concluded, emphasising the central role of education and training in the local content policy.