Chimoio, Mozambique, Aug. 25, 2026 - The Mozambican cabinet approved on Tuesday the regulations governing the organisation and operation of the Development Bank of Mozambique (BDM), which was established to mobilise long-term resources and drive strategic investment.
«The country now has a development finance institution capable of mobilising long-term resources, acting as a catalyst for strategic investments and leveraging the participation of multilateral partners in international cooperation and development banks,» the cabinet spokesperson, Salim Valá, said in a statement to the press at the end of the 25th ordinary session of that body, in Manica province, central Mozambique.
According to the spokesperson, the approved regulations will enable the institution, established by Law No. 17/2026 of 15 June, to become operational and are also expected to play a central role in financing structural initiatives for the national economy.
«The Development Bank of Mozambique positions itself as a strategic partner for the private sector and as a facilitator of Mozambique's socio-economic development, contributing to the mobilisation of resources, poverty reduction and the promotion of inclusive and sustainable economic growth,» he said.
The spokesperson explained that the government had opted for an institutional model that combines the public mission of promoting development with the principles of corporate governance: «The Development Bank of Mozambique was established as a legal entity under public law, organised as a public limited company, with administrative, financial and asset autonomy.» The spokesperson for the cabinet stated that the BDM is based on a «hybrid model that combines the public mission, the pursuit of the national interest in development, with the discipline and rigour of management typical of commercial companies», enabling the institution to operate with «the technical independence necessary to carry out its operations with complete autonomy, especially in terms of governance».
According to the spokesperson, the bank's structure is «in line with international best practices applied to development finance institutions» and draws on international experiences regarded as benchmarks.
Valá also pointed out that the creation of a development bank is a long-standing aspiration of the country, envisaged as far back as the Agenda 2025, and frequently advocated by the private sector and various economic actors. According to the spokesperson, the institution was designed to address funding constraints for strategic and infrastructure projects that the commercial banking sector does not typically serve.
«This development bank aims to complement other commercial banks by fulfilling a special role and addressing a gap that currently exists in our country,» he stated, highlighting the financing of economic infrastructure, the transformation of agriculture, industrialisation, tourism and renewable energy projects as priority areas.
For the government, he added, the challenge now is to ensure that the new institution has the necessary safeguards in place for efficient and sustainable management: «It must be a well-managed, viable bank that contributes to the accelerated, inclusive and sustainable development of our country.» On 15 June 2025, the president of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, signed into law the bill establishing the Development Bank of Mozambique, with the aim of structuring, financing and driving forward strategic projects for the country's progress.
The Presidency stated in a press release at the time that the enactment of the law marks the culmination of the legislative process, «fulfilling part of the commitments made in the President's inaugural address (…) upon his investiture» on 1 January 2025, when he affirmed his determination to promote inclusive development accessible to all Mozambicans.
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