Maputo, June 5, 2026 (Lusa) - The Mozambican government on Friday called on domestic businesses to stop being “peripheral players” in mega-projects in the mining, hydrocarbons and energy sectors, and to prepare investments in these sectors as a strategy for the country’s development.
“We want Mozambican companies to stop being peripheral participants and start taking on an increasingly significant role in the value chains of mining, hydrocarbons and energy,” urged the minister for mineral resources and energy.
Estêvão Pale was speaking during a meeting in Maputo with the national private sector, led by the Confederation of Economic Associations (CTA), to discuss the business environment, during which he reminded business leaders that the country is experiencing a “time of enormous opportunities”, with the progress of gas mega-projects in the north and concrete measures to secure opportunities.
He argued that mineral and energy resources must leave a “tangible mark” on the lives of Mozambicans, calling on the private sector to invest in developing these sectors.
In outlining the country’s potential, the minister stated that the government is strengthening the regulatory framework for the hydrocarbons sector, including the creation of training and capacity-building programmes for businesspeople, the provision of various financing schemes, and access to information so that domestic companies are aware in advance of procurement plans and opportunities to supply goods and services in these sectors.
"The central message is simple: the government does not intend to replace expertise with nationality. We aim to create conditions so that national participation is established through technical capacity, financial robustness, management discipline, quality and competitiveness," he said.
In the hydrocarbons sector alone, the minister noted that expenditure on goods and services for gas projects is forecast at around US$5 billion (€4.315 billion), the training of more than 15,000 workers, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, with 355 companies expected to be involved in the construction phase of the projects and approximately 1,500 companies in the operational phase, and he highlighted this sector as an opportunity.
“It is important that, once needs have been identified, partnerships are established with foreign companies specialising in each of these areas from a ‘win-win’ perspective,” he said.
He highlighted opportunities for the business sector in projects involving natural gas for vehicles, the supply of gas to the domestic market and the production of biofuels, including their blending with imported fossil fuels, as well as the need to increase storage capacity for liquid fuels.
In the energy sector, he listed business opportunities in the modernisation and expansion of the electricity system, in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, including initiatives to build solar networks in rural communities.
In this regard, he called for concrete projects, competitive energy, infrastructure, financing, qualified personnel and well-prepared national companies, which is why private sector involvement is important.
"However, the existence of resources does not, in itself, guarantee affordable energy for the end consumer, or the productive sector. The price and competitiveness of energy depend on various factors, namely the location of resources, investment costs, generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure, technical losses, operational efficiency, the scale of projects and the ability to mobilise financing on competitive terms," he said.
He concluded by stating that it is urgent to turn opportunities into results, such as maintenance and logistics services, food supply, transport, construction, training and industrial safety, and the transfer of knowledge and technology.
PME/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
