The Government of Mozambique’s Public Administration Reform Program
1. Introduction
This journal article being discussed is on Mozambique, an African country that has been undergoing a tremendous number of reforms within its public administration. The reforms are in line with the public administration reform program set out by the Government of Mozambique. In order to achieve the goals set out in the program, the government has been making various changes to improve the efficiency and quality of public services. The country’s budget and debt have also been under scrutiny in recent years, as the government seeks to reduce the deficit and increase revenue. The marketing and cash management of the country’s public administration have also been reformed, with a focus on increasing transparency and accountability. The legal framework of the country’s public administration has also been revised, with a view to ensuring that all laws are compliant with international standards. Technical reforms in the country’s public administration have also been implemented, with a focus on improving the quality of data collection and analysis. User fees in the country’s public administration have also been introduced, with a view to increase revenue and reduce wastage. Forecasting in the country’s public administration has also been improved, with a focus on providing accurate and timely information to decision-makers.
2. The Mozambique History
Mozambique is located in southeastern Africa, bordered by Zambia to the north, Zimbabwe to the west, South Africa to the south, Swaziland to the southwest, Tanzania to the east, and the Indian Ocean to its east coast. The country covers an area of 801,590 square kilometers and has a population of 30 million people (as of 2016). The capital city of Maputo is located on the southeast coast of the country. Portuguese is the official language of Mozambique, while English and French are also spoken by many people in the country. Christianity is the predominant religion in Mozambique, followed by Islam.
Mozambique was colonized by Portugal in 1505 and remained a Portuguese colony until 1975. During this time, Mozambique was a major source of income for Portugal through its exports of slaves, gold, ivory, and other minerals. In 1951, Portugal granted autonomy to Mozambique within its Overseas Province system. However, this did not last long as Portugal soon began implementing its controversial “Policies of Assimilation” which sought to turn Mozambique into a colony again. This led to an uprising by nationalist groups such as FRELIMO (Front for Liberation of Mozambique), which began a war for independence from Portugal in 1964. After 10 years of war, Mozambique finally gained independence from Portugal in 1974.
However, independence did not bring peace to Mozambique as civil war broke out soon after between FRELIMO (now ruling party) and RENAMO (National Resistance Movement). The civil war lasted for 16 years and only ended when a peace agreement was signed between FRELIMO and RENAMO in 1992. Since then, Mozambique has undergone a period of reconstruction and economic reform. However, poverty is still widespread in the country and about 60% of the population live below the poverty line. Corruption is also rampant in Mozambique and ranks among one of the most corrupt countries in Africa according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (2016).
3. The country’s public administration and reforms therein
The Government of Mozambique has set out a public administration reform program with the aim of improving the efficiency and quality of public services. As part of the program, the government has made various changes to the structure and functioning of the public administration. The following are some of the major changes that have been made:
– The number of ministries has been reduced from 36 to 18
– The number of provincial governments has been reduced from 12 to 8
– The number of districts has been reduced from 128 to 55
– The number of administrative posts has been reduced
– The pay and allowances of public servants have been reviewed and harmonized
– The recruitment and selection procedures for public servants have been improved
– The performance management system for public servants has been strengthened
– The training and development programs for public servants have been improved
– The use of information and communication technology in the public administration has been increased
– The financial management and control procedures in the public administration have been strengthened.
4. The country’s budget and debt
The Government of Mozambique has placed a great emphasis on reducing the deficit and increasing revenue in recent years. As part of this effort, the government has implemented a number of measures, including:
– Introducing a new budget law that requires all ministries, provincial governments, and district councils to prepare their budgets in line with the government’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF)
– Conducting a review of all tax incentives and exemptions with a view to eliminating those that are no longer justified
– Increasing excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and fuel
– Introducing a value-added tax (VAT) on goods and services
– Implementing a windfall tax on mining companies
– Introducing a property tax
– Establishing a sovereign wealth fund to save revenue from natural resources for future generations.
The government has also sought to increase revenue through non-tax sources, such as foreign aid and loans. However, the country’s debt has been increasing in recent years and stood at $9.8 billion in 2016 (about 38% of GDP). The government has been working with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank to reduce the deficit and stabilise the economy.
5. The country’s marketing and cash management
The Government of Mozambique has placed a great emphasis on increasing transparency and accountability in the marketing and cash management of the public administration. As part of this effort, the government has implemented a number of measures, including:
– Introducing a new marketing law that requires all ministries, provincial governments, and district councils to prepare their marketing plans in line with the government’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF)
– Conducting a review of all marketing activities with a view to eliminating those that are no longer justified
– Establishing a centralized marketing unit within the Ministry of Finance to coordinate all marketing activities
– Introducing a new cash management law that requires all ministries, provincial governments, and district councils to prepare their cash management plans in line with the government’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF)
– Conducting a review of all cash management activities with a view to eliminating those that are no longer justified
– Establishing a centralized cash management unit within the Ministry of Finance to coordinate all cash management activities.
6. The legal framework of the country’s public administration
The Government of Mozambique has revised the legal framework of the public administration in recent years with a view to ensuring that all laws are compliant with international standards. As part of this effort, the following laws have been enacted:
– The Constitution of Mozambique
– The Organic Law of the Public Administration
– The Organic Law of the Civil Service
– The Organic Law of Local Authorities
– The Organic Law of Decentralization
– The Organic Law of State Enterprises
– The Organic Law of Administrative Contracts.
7. Technical reforms in the country’s public administration
The Government of Mozambique has implemented a number of technical reforms in the public administration in recent years, with a focus on improving the quality of data collection and analysis. As part of this effort, the following measures have been taken:
– Establishing a National Statistics Institute (INE) to coordinate all statistical activities in the country
– Conducting regular censuses and surveys to collect data on various aspects of society
– Introducing a new information technology law that requires all ministries, provincial governments, and district councils to use information technology in their work
– Establishing an e-government portal to provide online access to government services.
8. User fees in the country’s public administration
The Government of Mozambique has introduced user fees in the public administration with a view to increase revenue and reduce wastage. As part of this effort, the following measures have been taken:
– Introducing fees for services such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates
– Introducing fees for Rubbish collection
– Introducing fees for water and electricity consumption
– Introducing fees for vehicle registration and driver’s license
– Introducing fees for passport and visa
– Introducing fees for use of public parks and recreation facilities.
9. Forecasting in the country’s public administration
The Government of Mozambique has improved forecasting in the public administration with a focus on providing accurate and timely information to decision-makers. As part of this effort, the following measures have been taken:
– Establishing a National Institute of Meteorology (INAMET) to coordinate all weather forecasting activities in the country
– Conducting regular weather forecasts to provide information on weather conditions
– Introducing a new law that requires all ministries, provincial governments, and district councils to use forecasting in their work
– Establishing a forecasting unit within the Ministry of Planning and Development to coordinate all forecasting activities.
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