Yesterday in Maputo, the Ministry of Industry and Trade launched a project to carry out an industrial census in the country. The results of the study will be used to evaluate plans to revitalize some forgotten industries, said the Minister of Industry and Trade, Silvino Moreno.

At the launch of the project called General Mapping of the Manufacturing Industry in Mozambique, the minister began by recalling the country's golden years in the industrial sector.

"For those who remember, we've already had thriving industries in the food sector, in the agro-industry; we've also had construction materials. For those who remember, we also had the rubber industry, producing A4 paper, which we now export," he said.

With this project, the Ministry seeks to understand the general situation of the manufacturing industry in the country, but also "to develop support plans that will help revitalize the sector; to contribute to industrial dynamism in order to increase its contribution to GDP.

According to the source, the project also aims to monitor companies that benefit from certain government programs, such as tax exemptions on the import of raw materials and location in industrial parks, industrial free zones and special economic zones.

He also said that the ultimate goal is to map the manufacturing industry in Mozambique, by collecting, digitizing and systematizing information on all industrial companies, "which will include a comprehensive list of companies in the organized sector and, as far as possible, companies in the unorganized informal sector".

The study expects to cover around 8,000 industrial companies in this exercise, according to the minister.

The project will run until December 2023 and comprises three phases, one of which will include technical and statistical training for MIC technicians on the use, analysis, interpretation of data and updating of the database.

The project is funded by the Bank of Mozambique to the tune of 770,000 dollars, and will be supported by the National Statistics Institute in systematizing the data collected.