The British government is focused on restoring trade and investment and commercial partnerships with Mozambique to pre-Covid levels and strengthening responsible and sustainable investment in the areas of energy, agriculture and mining.

The information was provided by the British Representative for Trade and Investment in Africa, John Humphrey, during a working visit to Mozambique that ended today, February 24.

During the same visit, John Humphrey held meetings with the Minister of Industry and Trade, Silvino Moreno, the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications, Amilton Alissone and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, Teodoro Vales, in which they established ways of making partnerships between the two countries viable through British investment and the creation of a business environment with fewer barriers to access and growth.

Humphrey stressed the importance of Mozambique in the African business ecosystem and said that British companies are one of the main employers and tax payers in Mozambique, supporting more than 400,000 Mozambicans in the agro-industrial sector alone.

"It is our expectation that bilateral trade ties between our two nations will be strengthened in the coming years," he said.

The visit also allowed for direct contact with British companies in Mozambique such as Vodacom, Compass Group, Maragra Sugar, Gemfields, Gemrocks and Globeleq. These conversations enabled an understanding of the current challenges facing the Mozambican market and the design of strategies to attract more sustainable and mutually beneficial investments.

For her part, the British High Commissioner to Mozambique, Helen Lewis, said that the UK and Mozambique have a historic and mutually beneficial relationship in the areas of trade and business. As part of the Commonwealth, several barriers are reduced and there is greater scope for mutually beneficial partnerships.

"We are strongly committed to continuing to strengthen this relationship with companies and the Mozambican government," he said.