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Maputo, 21 Mar (AIM) – The Mozambican government collects 35 million dollars a year in import taxes on second-hand clothes, since 85 percent of the country’s population depends on them, according to a study carried out by the NGO Ajuda de Desenvolvimento de Povo para Povo (ADPP) in partnership with Consulting for Africa (CFA) Abalon Capital.
The study, entitled “Current situation of the second-hand clothing market in Mozambique: Opportunities and challenges”, claims that the tax revenues raised from imports of second-hand clothes help to “finance much-needed social programmes, such as in health care and education.”
“The availability of affordable clothing creates a budgetary margin for other important household expenditures, such as food, housing and education. The sector of second-hand clothes is an important employer, albeit predominantly informal, in a context of high unemployment rates”, reads the document.
Over the last five years, the study says, Mozambique imported around 36,750 tonnes of used clothing a year and demand for this type of clothing has grown at an annual rate of 3.5 percent.
“Our analysis suggests that one tonne of second-hand clothing imports provides around 78 jobs, both directly and indirectly. At least 85 percent of the people employed through second-hand clothes are also the main income earners for their households”, the document says.
“Based on these figures, it can be inferred that at least 1.1 million Mozambicans are directly dependent on the sector and many operators in the area tell success stories through the profits they have made in this sector”, reads study.
Overall, the study shows that China, followed by the European Union (EU) countries, India and Pakistan are the countries from which Mozambique imports the most second-hand clothes and textiles.
(AIM)
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