News

Mozambique's Executive Commission for Professional Education Reform has made 350,000 US dollars available to finance 13 institutions under the Professional and Technical Education Reform Programme (PIREP) launched last year by President Armando Guebuza.

Despite the seizure of its computer equipment by court officials, the weekly paper "Faisca", published in the northern Mozambican province of Niassa, has vowed to continue publication - even if it has to use typewriters.

The Mozambican government on Wednesday increased the prices of all liquid fuels by up to 9.3 per cent, with the new prices taking effect immediately According to a statement from the Ministry of Energy, the largest price increase is for kerosene, which goes up from 17.8 to 19.45 meticais a litre, an increase of 9.3 per cent.

The work to repair and improve some of the roads and squares in central Maputo started formally on Monday, and is estimated to last about 18 months, reports Tuesday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias".

The chairperson of Mozambique's National Civil Service Authority (ANFP), Victoria Diogo, on Tuesday claimed that the basic instruments are now in place to ensure implementation of the second phase of the reform of the public sector.

Mozambican mining operators have protested against the policy of the Bank of Mozambique only to buy gold from them in quantities of at least 20 kilos, which makes it impossible for small scale operators to sell their gold legally.

Representatives of NGOs who work on environmental issues met on Monday in Maputo with staff of the Ministry for the Coordination of Environmental Action (MICOA) to discuss how they can cooperate.

The director of the Mozambican government's relief agency, the National Disaster Management Institute (INGC), Paulo Zucula, announced on Friday the end of the emergency phase in the response to recent disasters such as flooding in the Zambezi valley, and cyclone Favio that hit the southern province of Inhambane in February.

Mozambican Labour Minister Helena Taipo reiterated on Wednesday the government's commitment to build a "strong" system of social protection, which will adequately cater for the beneficiaries of social security.

The Mozambican government met on Thursday in Maputo with potential Mozambican investors to discuss a planned coal-fired power station to be built at Moatize, in the western province of Tete.

The Mozambican Agriculture Ministry has requested from the state about 77 million meticais (3.8 million US dollars) to be used in emergency actions to assist the victims of natural disasters.

Representatives of the inter-state Defense and Security Committee of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) met in Maputo last week to discuss the creation of an African Rapid Reaction Force.

Equipping Mozambique's 42 technical schools and eight technical and professional training centres, under the plans to restructure professional education in the country, will cost around 200 million US dollars.

Mozambican President Armando Guebuza on Thursday laid the first stone in the project to modernize Maputo international airport.

The mayor of Maputo, Eneas Comiche, declared on Friday that he is pleased at the work done by health staff in treating the victims of the 22 March explosions at the military arsenal in the outer Maputo suburb of Malhazine.

The Mozambican government is preparing its position for negotiations with the European Union, scheduled to begin in May, on the controversial Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).

The Mozambican Human Rights League (LDH) has described the scenario of labour relations in the country as "distressing".

Poor construction of a small dam in Nhamatanda district, in the central Mozambican province of Sofala has led to flooding on the Muda river, costing 85 families their homes, reports the Beira daily paper "Diario de Mocambique".

The Mozambican government's Investment Promotion Centre (CPI) has received a proposal from a group of American business people to set up an oil refinery in the northern port city of Nacala.

The governor of the southern Mozambican province of Inhambane, Francisco Itai Meque, has ordered the suspension of the use of the seven million meticais (about 280,000 US dollars) allocated to every district in the country for local development projects, reports Tuesday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias".