By MOZTIMES
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – The Mozambican government has approved further restructuring of the public administration, including the creation of a central body to handle State acquisitions.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Tuesday, the government spokesperson and Minister of State Administration, Inocencio Impissa, described this as a measure to increase control over public expenditure and reduce inefficiencies.
He said this honours a promise made by President Daniel Chapo during his inauguration speech in January, when he had pledged efficient management of expenditure.
Impissa claimed that centralised purchasing will allow greater control over the prices charged by suppliers, reduce costs and avoid the duplication of expenditure.
“This will allow a greater concentration of information about the prices charged in the market”, he added.
At the same time the government approved changes in the regulations for hiring public works, and for supplying goods and services to the State. These changes, said Impissa, were needed to strengthen “transparency and efficiency”.
Another significant measure was the abolition of the Road Fund as an autonomous institution. It is now reduced to no more than a bank account included in the new structure of the National Roads Administration (ANE).
Impissa said the entire “complex structure” of the Road Fund will disappear. There will no longer be any provincial representatives of the Road Fund, and activities in the provinces will be handed over to the ANE.
Impissa said this reform is intended “to guarantee effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and the quality of services” in the road transport sector. (MT)
