WASHINGTON , January 25, 2008 — In his first official visit to Africa as head of the World Bank, World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick will visit several cities in Mozambique for two days beginning Feb. 2. As part of his trip, Mr. Zoellick will meet with government officials, and members of civil society and the private sector. He will also visit the sites of several Bank-financed projects.
Mr. Zoellick’s trip is part of a wider visit to Africa, where he will stop in three other countries including Mauritania and Liberia, and Ethiopia where he will address a summit of the African Union.
"Mr. Zoellick's visit is another signal of the World Bank Group's continued commitment to support Mozambique's fight against poverty,” said Michael Baxter, World Bank director for Mozambique, Angola, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
On the list of sites Mr. Zoellick will visit: the Sena Line in Beira, a project dedicated to post-conflict resolution. He will visit the Beira Hospital, where the care of patients with HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB and malnutrition is top priority. Mr. Zoellick will also visit two gas off-take terminals in Matola and Maputo and will meet with executives at the Mozal aluminum smelter, an International Finance Corporate-financed project.
While in Maputo, Mr. Zoellick will meet with Prime Minister Luisa Diogo and with Mozambique’s economy ministers. The group will discuss Mozambique’s push for post-conflict resolution following the end of civil war in 1992, governance issues, the battle against HIV/AIDS and ways Mozambique can best exploit its natural resources.
Finally, Mr. Zoellick will meet with Mozambican President Armando Guebuza.
Mozambique is considered one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s strongest economic performers. The country has enjoyed a major recovery since the civil war with average economic growth at eight percent between 1996 and 2006. Mozambique has also seen a drop in its poverty headcount index of 15 percent, has decreased infant mortality by 35 percent, and has increased primary school enrollment by 65 percent.
But, major challenges include an HIV/AIDS infection rate of 16 percent and large swaths of the population still living in poverty.
“Mozambique has made tremendous strides in economic and social development but still over half the population is poor,” said Baxter. “More needs to be done in the fight against poverty and to promote broad-based growth.”
“I'm sure the country's leadership will continue to tackle critical areas such as stronger governance and anti-corruption programs; improved efficiency of the justice sector; stronger health, education and water services for the poor; and effective programs to limit the spread of HIV/AIDS and also to treat it,” he added.
The World Bank Group (WBG) is actively supporting Mozambique in meeting its development challenges. Since it began in Mozambique in 1984, World Bank assistance has evolved from helping to stabilize the economy in the 1980s to post-war reconstruction in the early 1990s, to a comprehensive support strategy in the late 1990s, to the current strategy that involves close collaboration with the Government, development partners and civil society.
The WBG’s commitment to Mozambique’s development effort is significant. Over four years from June 2003 to June 2007, US$2.5 billion has been transferred to Mozambique (including International Development Association (IDA) disbursements, IFC activities, trust funds and IDA debt relief), and US$331 million in guarantees has been issued by the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency and IBRD. An additional US$1.1 billion has been facilitated through the World Bank in the form of non-IDA debt relief.
The IFC’s portfolio (as of December 2007) totals US$113 million, consisting of eight projects in finance, agribusiness, primary metals production, oil and gas, and general manufacturing, including four operations in the small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector.
Mozambique is MIGA’s fifth-largest host country and represents the agency's largest exposure in Africa. The portfolio consists of 19 guarantees totaling US$238 million in gross exposure (US$134 million in net exposure), including US$85 million for Sasol, US$60 million for the Marromeu sugar project, and US$25 million for the Moma mining project.
World Bank Contacts:
In Maputo: Rafael Saute Tel.: +258-1- 482324 Fax: +258-1- 492893 Cell: +258 - 823201640 Email: rsaute@worldbank.org
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