Mozambique 29 Jan: Blair, beer, bags, and more
Good afternoon from Zitamar News.
The Mozambican police force is due to give a press conference in Maputo this afternoon addressing reported conflicts with Renamo in the centre of the country. Statements made this morning by the police chief in Zambezia, where the fighting took place, took an aggressive tone. Tense times in Mozambique continue.
SEE: Mozambique government “will respond in kind” if Renamo continues attacks
Zitamar’s best-read story this week was Wednesday’s revelation that former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has installed advisers in the office of Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi. The advisers have been there since November with Blair himself popping by in December – all part of an effort by Blair to “help improve effectiveness of the presidency”.
SEE: Tony Blair puts advisers in Mozambique president’s office
Another UK link-up with perhaps a more tangible benefit to Mozambique in the near term is CDM’s deal to sell 2M beer to Nando’s UK chain of chicken restaurants. Nando’s already sources its chillis from Mozambique. Now UK diners who over-indulge in piri-piri can cool their burning mouths with Mozambican beer.
SEE: Nando’s to sell Mozambican beer UK-wide from April
The export arrangement, which starts in April, should provide a small but welcome boost to Mozambique’s balance of payments and currency troubles. An eye-catching statistic, that the metical is the world’s “best performing currency” against the dollar so far in 2016, got a lot of attention this week, but Bloomberg was quick to pour water on hopes that the up-turn would last.
Nevertheless, there are reasons to be proud to be Mozambican this week. The ban on disposable plastic bags comes into force on Friday 5 February, news that was greeted with jubilation by our followers on Facebook and Twitter. Praise poured in for Mozambique’s initiative from places as far afield as California and the Azores, imploring their governments to follow Mozambique’s example.
SEE: Mozambique plastic bag ban comes into force next Friday
Some of our readers may still be feeling the effects of an explosion at EDM’s Matola substation last September that knocked out a significant part of southern Mozambique’s electricity infrastructure. Help is now at hand with UK company Aggreko sending two transformers to Matola from its power plant at Ressano Garcia, which should provide a stop-gap solution until EDM manages to replace its busted transformer. Industrial consumers in Matola, in particular, should be relieved.
SEE: EDM shifts Ressano Garcia power infrastructure to Matola
Still in the energy sector, Zitamar revealed the identity of the next man who will try to lead Italian oil and gas company Eni’s Rovuma Basin gas project to a final investment decision (FID). Meanwhile Nilza Abdula, executive vice president of engineering and projects development at state oil company ENH, yesterday insisted both Eni and Anadarko will reach FID “this year” on the giant LNG developments. Now where have we heard that before…
SEE: Eni names new Mozambique country head
Have a great weekend.