The establishment of partnerships that enable knowledge sharing between large industries and Mozambican Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is one of the main issues for the development of the local business sector. Political will is seen as the great solution to leverage SMEs and develop the country.

This vision was defended, on Thursday (01), in Marracuene district, by the panelists of the third debate on local content organized by the Maputo Port Development Society (MPDC), on the sidelines of the 57th edition of the Maputo International Fair (FACIM).

Addressing the topic "how to establish win/win partnerships that enable the transfer of know-how," Amade Camal, entrepreneur and CEO of Cometal, began by considering that partnerships between SMEs and multi-nationals should, in themselves, ensure the sharing of knowledge without losing sight of the fact that it is business.

According to Camal, it will be an added value if the Government bets on using local human resources, companies, production, and services. "What is lacking is political will," concluded Camal, convinced that "the private sector is prepared to provide services to small and large projects.

In the same vein, the representative of MozParks, Honório Boane, considered that Mozambique has the potential to meet all the demand of the mega-projects, and that it is necessary to invest in the acquisition of technologies.

For Boane, SMEs need to make smart partnerships that add value to the country. However, he mentioned that currently large projects seek and consume less than 10% of the services of national companies.

Boene proposed the strategy of attracting the high-tech services, which the country cannot provide for multi-nationals, through the creation of specific companies.

Recalling the period of restrictions due to covid-19, the official said that the multinationals were unable to receive materials supplied by foreign companies, and that this shortage was supplied by Mozambican companies.

"It is all a matter of political will because we are focusing on the 'dessert' and not the 'main meal', which are the structuring industries that Mozambique needs. We lack a strategic vision to outline the paths to follow," said Boane.

On the occasion, the representative of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Cerina Mussá, referred to a Government program to support all of the country's SMEs to provide services to large projects. However, she warned that the plan also provides for the access of SMEs to the entire national economic and financial scope, regardless of the magnitude of the projects.

"There is the Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Institute and other development agencies to support SMEs and a mechanism to create linkages with the large projects. There is a support process in capacity building and certification so that they comply with the necessary specifications in the production of products and in the preparation and provision of services so that they have a recognized international standard and can provide goods and services to the mega-projects," he said, recalling that the Government, through the Secretary of State has incubation programs to support SMEs.

For the responsible, the SMEs can work with other large companies in outsourcing their services, reducing operational costs in some activities and also making "the big purchases from the Government, which is their biggest client.