Maputo, 12 Nov (AIM) – The Fund for the Development of the Blue Economy (ProAzul), the Mozambican government’s financial branch for boosting the blue economy agenda, has launched a Blue Economy Satellite Account (CSEA), which is a statistical tool aimed at assessing the sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The tool is also aimed at collecting other specific economic data related to activities linked to the sea and inland waters.
According to Prime Minister Benvinda Levi, speaking during the launch ceremony, CSEA marks an important step towards the accessible and transparent dissemination of reliable information related to the blue economy.
“For the first time, Mozambique has a statistical tool that allows the collection of specific economic data on activities linked to the sea and inland waters, making it possible to assess the real contribution of this sector to the national GDP”, she said.
“Between 2019 and 2023, approximately 11 per cent of Mozambique’s GDP originated from activities linked to the blue economy, an indicator that reinforces its strategic importance and its contribution to the country’s sustainable development”, she added.
According to Levi, the data contained in CSEA will serve as a planning and mobilization element for more public and private investment, “so that we can continue to maximize the sustainable use of ocean and lake resources and, consequently, accelerate the economic growth of our country.”
The government recently announced that ProAzul needs 900 million US dollars to fund projects targeting the fishing value chain, involving artisanal fishermen and small businesses.
For his part, Roberto Albino, the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, said this is an essential tool for evidence-based governance, allowing the measurement of the real contribution of the blue economy to national development.
(AIM)
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