Maputo, Aug. 19, 2026 (Lusa) - The new Mozambican legislation stipulates that mining co-operatives shall have priority access to licences for artisanal mining and that credit cooperatives shall be subject to supervision by the Bank of Mozambique as financial institutions.
According to the new regulations approved by the Government, which now implement the 2009 General Law on Cooperatives, mining cooperatives are defined as entities dedicated to the «discovery and exploitation of mineral resources», covering activities such as reconnaissance, prospecting, exploration, mining, processing and the marketing of mining products.
One of the key new provisions in the document, which Lusa saw on Wednesday, is that mining cooperatives formed by small-scale operators or artisanal miners will now enjoy «priority access to Licences for the Use and Exploitation of Areas for Artisanal Mining».
Conversely, the regulation stipulates that the cooperative is «jointly and severally liable for the environmental restoration of areas degraded by its members' activities» and must set up an environmental guarantee fund as defined in its articles of association.
The legislation also requires these cooperatives to comply with the health and safety at work standards applicable to the extractive sector, and the regulation will suspend benefits for noncompliance.
In the financial sphere, the new regulatory framework designates credit co-operatives as «credit institutions» intended to provide financial services to their members. It also stipulates that in all matters not covered by co-operative legislation, these entities shall be governed by the binding rules applicable to financial institutions, as issued by the Bank of Mozambique.
Credit cooperatives may raise funds, grant credit and provide guarantees in accordance with banking legislation. These services are intended solely for co-operative members, while transactions with other credit institutions and financial companies remain unaffected.
The legislation also allows these cooperatives to hold deposits with credit institutions, acquire public debt securities or securities issued by the monetary authority, and hold certain financial holdings authorised by the Bank of Mozambique.
Another amendment stipulates that the formation of credit cooperatives, in addition to the standard registrations, is now subject to special registration with the Bank of Mozambique, in accordance with the legislation on credit institutions and financial companies.
The regulation also introduces mandatory audits of the annual accounts of co-operatives that, in the previous financial year, met or exceeded at least two of the following criteria: net turnover exceeding 2,500 times the minimum wage for the relevant sector, more than 500 members, or total assets above a value that a future ministerial decree will set.
The audit requirement also applies, regardless of the cooperative's size, to entities that operate with public funds or benefit from specific tax incentives.
The new rules form part of the Government's broader strategy for the cooperative sector. In July, the cabinet approved the National Cooperative Development Programme (PNDC) 2026–2046, which aims to formalise 10,000 cooperatives, integrate 1.5 million informal workers and create 500,000 direct and indirect jobs over the next two decades.
The programme also focusses on increasing local processing of agricultural, fisheries, forestry and mining production; integrating cooperatives into the supply chains of major national projects; and strengthening local content through the procurement of goods and services produced by Mozambican cooperatives.
PVJ/ADB // ADB.
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