Maputo, 19 Jul (AIM) – Mozambican Prime Minister Benvinda Levi has challenged new chairpersons of public institutions to conduct their duties with integrity and transparency in the management of public affairs.
According to the Prime Minister – who was speaking at a ceremony in which she swore into office António Máquina as chairperson of the National Social Security Institute (INSS); Sérgio Xirinda as Secretary-General of the Labour Consultative Commission (CCT); Luís Canhemba as Director of the government’s press office (GABINFO); and Sérgio Mucheleze, who was appointed assistant to the Prime Minister – the new heads must provide firm and mobilizing leadership, capable of ensuring effective functioning of the institutions.
“Every decision must respect the law, protect the public interest and the rights of contributors, and safeguard the system’s sustainability. INSS is facing several financial scandals, which means that the new head will strengthen oversight and accountability mechanisms”, she said.
The INSS Board of Directors, she said, must fully assume its strategic role by approving and monitoring management tools, rigorously overseeing the achievement of targets, and ensuring that the institution delivers concrete results.
She also drew attention to the need to expand social security coverage, noting that thousands of workers remain excluded from the system, particularly those in the informal economy, agriculture, small-scale trade, and other forms of self-employment.
“It is urgent to create mechanisms that are simple, accessible, and tailored to their reality so that social security becomes truly inclusive,” she emphasized.
The Prime Minister further advocated for digital transformation to remain a priority through the strengthening of the social security information system, the improvement of contribution payment channels, the reduction of bureaucracy, and the bringing of services closer to contributors, beneficiaries, and pensioners.
Regarding the new CCT Secretary-General, Levi demanded technical competence, coordination skills, impartiality and a strong sense of duty toward the State.
“The CCT serves as a key forum for participation and social dialogue, where the government, employers, and workers must forge consensus-based solutions to the major challenges facing the labor sector. It is your responsibility to ensure the regular, organized, and effective functioning, preparing processes to a high standard and ensuring that decisions are grounded in credible technical information”, she said.
According to Levi, direct dialogue between employers and workers should be encouraged through collective bargaining and the strengthening of trade unions and representative business associations, thereby contributing to more stable labor relations.
She also called for the continuous capacity-building of social partners in areas such as social dialogue, collective bargaining, conflict prevention and resolution, labor legislation, and the changing nature of the world of work.
(AIM)
MR/Am/
