Maputo, 14 May (AIM) – The Mozambican Confederation of Business Associations (CTA) has expressed its concern at the wave of kidnappings, after a businessman of Asian origin was abducted on Saturday, in broad daylight in central Maputo, by unidentified assailants.
According to CTA Executive Director, Eduardo Sengo, speaking on Monday, at the launch of the Annual Private Sector Conference (CASP), the kidnappings are having a damaging impact on the local business community.
“We don’t feel safe to continue doing business”, he said. “We feel constrained when we have this kind of scenario, and not just kidnappings. There’s also terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. So we’re asking the government to solve this central problem. Obviously we have others, but this one is of most concern for the business sector”.
According to Sengo, the government has promised to set up an anti-kidnapping brigade, but so far there has been no sign of such a specialist police unit.
“The private sector is reinventing itself with its own funds, with each business owner having to hire security guards for their own protection, which entails enormous costs”, Sengo said.
(AIM)
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