Four European governments have approved a financial package amounting to $28.5 million to support municipal development programmes in Mozambique’s 26 municipalities in the central and northern regions, APA can report on Friday. The deal was formalised on Friday by Mozambique’s Minister of State Administration, Carmelita Namashalua and Danish ambassador Johnny Flento who represent the quartet.
The programme, valid until 2017, will support the municipalities directly, through the transfer of financial resources for investment, technical assistance and the exchange of experience between the municipalities in areas concerned with resilience to climate change, management of solid waste, and municipal finance.
The countries providing the funds are Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and Ireland.
In addition to municipalities, the memorandum also supports central ministries in strengthening inter-sector coordination and also aims to strengthen forums of debate on municipal development, and to revise and update legislation on municipal management.
Some of the funds will also go towards drawing up and revising manuals of good municipal management practices.
Speaking at the ceremony, Namashalua said the municipal development programme seeks to support the government’s efforts to reduce poverty and improve the welfare of municipal citizens, and to contribute towards improving town planning and the consequent creation of a healthy environment.
She added that the programme will also contribute to the institutional strengthening of the municipalities, of central government institutions, and of the National Association of Mozambican Municipalities.
Source: APA/StarAfrica
