Mozambique’s government has approved the creation of the Moamba Special Economic Zone in Maputo Province, an initiative expected to attract more than one billion dollars in investment and generate over 5,000 direct and indirect jobs.

According to the Lusa news agency, the announcement was made by Council of Ministers spokesperson Inocêncio Impissa at the close of a cabinet meeting held in Maputo. The new zone covers an area of 64,000 hectares, encompassing parts of the administrative posts of Moamba-Sede, Pessene, and Ressano Garcia in the Moamba district.

“It is expected that just over one billion dollars will be invested in this zone,” Impissa said, explaining that the project aims to increase the region’s productive and commercial capacity, broaden the tax base, stimulate innovation, promote employment, and contribute to foreign exchange generation.

According to the spokesperson, the establishment of the zone should allow for the progressive entry of new investors and create more than 5,000 jobs, both direct and indirect.

The creation of the SEZ follows agreements signed between the governments of Mozambique and China for the development of an Industrial Park and a Special Economic Zone in Moamba. Those documents were signed during the Mozambique-China Business Forum held in Changsha in April, as part of President Daniel Chapo’s official state visit to China.

Among the announced projects are the installation of technological infrastructure featuring advanced artificial intelligence systems, a poultry production chain with a capacity of 1.2 million chickens per month, a pharmaceutical industrial park, a natural gas thermal power plant, and the creation of the Moamba Health City.

One of the distinguishing features of the initiative, according to the government, is that the area already hosts operational companies and has identified potential investors seeking to expand their activities. In the initial phase, at least four large companies are already in operation and eight additional entities have been identified as having potential to invest.

“At the stage of proposing the creation of this zone, at least four large companies are already operating at the district level,” Impissa explained.

He added that the Special Economic Zone status will allow for accelerated project implementation through simplified administrative procedures and incentives designed to facilitate business activity.

The measure is expected to benefit companies seeking to develop commercial, logistics, and other business activities in Maputo Province, particularly in the Moamba district.

Impissa also highlighted the area’s geographical location and existing infrastructure as key advantages that weighed in the government’s decision, noting that these factors could facilitate the establishment of new ventures.

The spokesperson further noted that the presence of already-active companies sets Moamba apart from previously established special economic zones, which lacked an initial business base capable of attracting investment.

AML Connect System Also Approved

In the same session, the Council of Ministers also approved AML Connect, a national statistics system for monitoring money laundering and terrorism financing.

The platform is designed for the collection, harmonisation, integration, processing, and analysis of information related to these financial crimes, with the aim of improving coordination among institutions involved in their prevention and prosecution.

According to Impissa, the system is intended to ensure “common standards of quality, consistency, comparability, timeliness, and information security”, while respecting the legal mandates attributed to participating entities.