The government should review and renegotiate the contracts with the oil multinationals that exploit the country's natural resources, according to the parliamentary caucus of the Optimistic People for the Development of Mozambique (PODEMOS) party. 

"The lack of effective legislation on corporate social responsibility contributes to this disconnection, with promises of benefits that are not kept," Sebastião Mussanhane, head of the party's caucus, said today.

Speaking at the solemn opening ceremony of the first ordinary session of the AR, in its 10th legislature, Mussanhane said that "the populations in the areas of exploitation continue to face inequalities, while large multinationals and the country's elites accumulate wealth".

The idea is that the new contracts can guarantee a more equitable distribution of wealth, especially in the education, health and infrastructure sectors, and thus promote local and sustainable development.

Mussanhane pointed to the communities of Temane and Pande, in Inhassoro district, in the southern province of Inhambane, where South African oil company Sasol has been exploring for natural gas for more than 20 years, as an example of people who don't benefit from natural resources.

He also told French multinational Total Energies and US multinational Exxon Mobil that they should also renegotiate their contracts for the exploitation of natural resources because "many local communities still live in extreme poverty".

Mussanhane believes that the difficulties faced by essential public services such as health and education are due to a lack of professionals and resources, which hinders access to quality services.

"Mozambique's transformation depends on consistent investment in these areas, guaranteeing dignity and equal access for all," he said. (Source: AIM)