Over the last 47 years, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has invested around 3.5 billion dollars in Mozambique to finance 115 projects in the areas of agriculture, transport, energy, water, sanitation and small and medium-sized enterprise initiatives, Prime Minister Adriano Maleiane announced yesterday (23)..

Speaking during the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the creation of the AfDB, he highlighted that part of this amount had contributed to improving the living conditions of the Mozambican population, modernizing the Nacala corridor, improving logistics and connectivity at home, as well as strengthening the country's competitive position.

"The African Development Bank has been aligned with the priorities of our government, as evidenced by the strategic investments in infrastructure such as energy, water, sanitation, roads, bridges and the modernization of agriculture within the framework of the development of the agricultural value chain," said Maleiane, in a publication by the African Development Bank. AIM.

The Mozambican Executive therefore praises the ADB for the support it has given, particularly to mitigate the effects of climate change, including cyclones Idai, Kenneth, the Covid 19 pandemic, the reconstruction of the districts affected by the terrorist attacks in Cabo Delgado province, among others.

The Minister of Transport and Communications, Mateus Magala, said that the AfDB was created by African governments to serve Africa.

"It's not an outsider bank, it's an instrument of governments, the Bank's 60-year vision remains the same, which is to eliminate poverty, promote well-being, economic development and regional integration, and that's what we're doing," said Magala.

The minister believes that at the moment the ADB should reorient its way of assisting the country, acting as a bank that promotes solutions to structural problems, namely job creation for young people, women, debt management, regional security, climate change, economic digitalization, among others.

(Photo DR)