NEW MUNICIPALITIES COST 1.6 MILLION DOLLARS
Maputo, 28 Nov (AIM) – The Mozambican Minister of State Administration, Ana Comoana, has revealed that the establishment of 12 new municipalities, as proposed by the government, will have a budgetary impact of over 100 million meticais (about 1.6 million US dollars, at the current exchange rate), an amount to be fully supported by the state budget.
The new municipalities, yet to be approved by the country’s parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, are the towns of Marracuene (Maputo province), Massingir (Gaza), Homoíne (Inhambane), Caia (Sofala), Guro (Manica), Morrumbala, (Zambezia), Mossuril (Nampula), Ibo and Balama (both in Cabo Delgado) and Insaca (Niassa). In addition, the government wants to upgrade the administrative post headquarters of Matola Rio (Maputo province) and Chitima (Tete) to municipal status.
According to the minister, cited in Monday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Notícias”, the draft law to set up the new municipalities, as from 2023, has already been deposited with the Assembly.
She added that the money required is already available . “However, this money will be allocated according to the possibilities and needs of each of the municipalities”, she stressed.
This budget is essentially intended for the installation phase of the municipalities, with emphasis on the creation of patrimonial, material and human conditions, taking into account that these are new entities.
According to Comoana, this budget will also be used to allocate the necessary means that will enable these municipalities to continue with their mission.
“This is the initial budget and it is believed that these decentralized entities, little by little, will be able to gain their autonomy”, she said. The state would allocate funds, such as the Municipal Compensation and also the Investment Fund, as already happens with the existing municipalities.
The minister also recognized that these funds are not sufficient, “but it is about what the State can assure, while they also work to create adequate conditions for the improvement of their budgetary performance.”
(AIM)
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