The Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, João Machatine, revealed last week that the executive will unify water supply contracts in areas where there are overlapping connections (between public and private providers) in order to protect the consumer.

According to João Machatine, who was speaking in the Assembly of the Republic, integration models have already been developed and agreed upon that materialize the principles of co-existence, complementarity, and harmonious coexistence between these two actors.

"In this regard, in areas with network overlap, private parties will be able to receive and provide this resource from the public network as a way to ensure continuity of service and expansion of coverage," Machatine explains.

Still, the expansion of the public water supply service underway in certain areas of the country, especially in Greater Maputo, has been generating concern among some private companies, as it is perceived as a risk to their business, in the sense that it may lead to the loss of customers and, consequently, compromise the return on the investments made.

"The demand for water is enormous in our country and no serious government can afford to dispense with the private sector in complementing its actions," Machatine stresses.