Decentralization: Path to progress

This program, which began in July 2015 and is implemented in 26 municipalities of the north and central areas of Mozambique, financed by the governments of Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and Ireland.

In addition to the presidents of the municipalities where the program was implemented, the meeting was attended by other partners who also implement the program, namely the National Association of Municipalities (ANNAM), the Ministry of State Administration and Public Function (MAEFP), Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MOPH) and Ministry of Land and Rural Development (MITADER).

During the presentation of the activities carried out, COWI's technical team, the company that coordinated the implementation of the program, listed the areas of intervention that were most prominent, namely urban planning and climate resilience; solid waste management; public finance management; municipal governance and citizen engagement, strengthening ANNAM's capacity and key institutions of government at the central level, increasing the number of municipal tributaries, infrastructure, etc., all aimed at achieving the objective of the program that was to contribute to poverty reduction and improving the well-being of citizens in central and northern Mozambique.

For the participants, the program has been able to contribute to the creation of capacities of the municipalities as well as improvement of the processes or municipal systems of management so that they are able to respond to the challenges that are imposed.

On the part of the cooperation partners, we consider that the support has been positive and we have been able to contribute to the government's efforts to promote greater decentralization for the country and that the lessons learned from the implementation of this program have to be used by other ongoing initiatives for future programs of decentralization, which is a reality, in the context of political dialogue aimed at promoting peace, national development.