Caia (Mozambique), 27 Aug (AIM) – Daniel Chapo, the candidate of Mozambique’s ruling Frelimo Party for the presidential election scheduled for 9 October, on Tuesday presented what he called “pragmatic solutions” to the problem of housing for young people.
Addressing a rally in the town of Caia, in the central province of Sofala, Chapo said that, if he wins the election, his government will mobilise resources to build houses to be sold at subsidized prices to young people who have jobs or some other income generating activity.
“We shall build social housing and young people who are already employed and earn wages, can acquire the houses and pay for them in instalments”, he said. “We know there are young people working on projects, and who have initiatives, and they can pay for these houses”.
At the same time, he added, his government would make land available in urban expansion areas, where basic social services are already installed. The young people who receive this land will have to build their houses, which will then be connected to the water supply and electricity networks.
“We shall parcel up the land and deliver it to our young people. The land will have water, electricity and roads”, promised Chapo. “The youths will only have to buy building material bit by bit, and build their own houses. We think this solution will bring added value to our young people, not only here in Caia, but throughout the country”.
Chapo has also promised repeatedly to reinstate the District Development Fund (FDD) which was one of the flagship projects of former President Armando Guebuza, who was head of state from 2005 to 2014.
Under this fund every district would receive every year seven million meticais (about 109,000 US dollars at the current exchange rate, but worth much more in 2005). This money was to be distributed among citizens who presented viable projects that could create jobs or boost food production, or stimulate local economic development.
Right from the start it was clear that the money was a loan, not a grant. The beneficiaries were supposed to repay. But in reality very few did so. Although beneficiaries who did not repay could have been taken to court, there is no record that this ever happened.
The Fund (or “the seven million”, as it was commonly known) thus became a racket, enriching a relatively small number of people in the districts. The fund was initially run from the offices of the district administrators, without any clear criteria for using the money.
The Guebuza government repeatedly claimed that the Fund was making a huge difference to living standards in the districts. But no audit of the Fund was ever published. It was never said exactly how much money was spent, how many jobs were created, and what other specific benefits derived from the Fund.
Chapo seems unaware of this problematic history of the District Fund, and has not said how he will avoid a repetition. It should be clear by now that such a Fund needs to be run by an independent body which is not subject to any form of political pressure – but Chapo has not mentioned any of these crucial details.
(AIM)
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