The Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA) said yesterday that granting visa exemptions to citizens of 28 countries will boost tourism and investment, calling for greater coordination to make the measure effective.

"The tourism sector in Mozambique feels nurtured by this measure. It helps with the post-covid recovery and boosts the sector," Mohammad Abdula, CTA's president for tourism, told Lusa.

The countries chosen have a tradition of visiting Mozambique, so they will be more inclined to travel to the African country and attract more people, he added.

"This type of measure [visa exemption] is difficult to take," so "30 days is more than enough for tourism and business visits," he said.

Regarding the obstacles usually reported at points of entry into the country - associated with petty corruption by border agents - Mohammad Abdula is "optimistic" that they will be overcome, stressing that the measure is the result of a "commitment at the highest level".

"As with everything, when we create a new mechanism or a new facility, there are challenges, but with coordination we are aware that they will be overcome," he stressed.

On the other hand, operators in the tourism sector will "monitor" the implementation of the measure, because they are among the main beneficiaries.

The government decided this week to grant visa exemptions to citizens of 28 countries, including Portugal, as part of the economic stimulus measures.

The measure is awaiting official publication.

In addition to Portugal, the approved list includes Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.