Government satisfied at availability of goods

Maputo, 26 Dec (AIM) – The Mozambican government has expressed satisfaction at the availability of goods during the festive season, and the stability of their prices.

Speaking in the southern municipality of Matola on Thursday during government monitoring of shops and markets, the Secretary of State for Trade, Antonio Grispos, said he is convinced that stocks of basic goods are sufficient for the entire festive season.

“What we have been witnessing is that the stocks do indeed exist”, said Grispos. “After the last meeting of the Council of Ministers (Cabinet) we announced that we had enough goods for three months”.

Grispos said that the government’s monitoring showed that not only were the goods available, but in general shopkeepers were not attempting to hike their prices. “There is a general trend for prices to remain the same”, he said.

Grispos recognised that there had been some attempts at price speculation, but these had been quickly identified and overcome. “Stocks are good, and there is no justification for any abnormal rise in prices”, he said.

However, Grispos admitted that there are “structural challenges”, notably the shortage of foreign exchange, which is a major concern for importers.

One of the government’s responses is to restrict imports of goods which can be supplied from Mozambican producers.

Grispos said he had noted that the shelves are full of Mozambican produce. This is reducing the pressure on the demand for foreign exchange. Among the goods where demand is almost completely satisfied by Mozambican produce are maize flour, salt, meat, sugar and mineral water.

(AIM)

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