“The concept of opening at 8 a.m. and then closing at 8 p.m., we couldn’t understand the reason. If someone wishes to sell until midnight, what’s the problem? If the shop is his and the health is his, let him sell,” stated the head of state during a meeting with businesspeople in Zambézia province, central region of the country.
Daniel Chapo mentioned that the measure aims to simplify and facilitate the business environment, as part of a broader set of ongoing reforms.
“Everyone can open and close at any time they wish. What we don’t want is to harm, for example, the workers, who cannot work more than eight hours,” he emphasized.
The Mozambican President also highlighted the Government’s efforts in combating corruption through the digitization of administrative processes, aiming to reduce direct contact between citizens and public officials.
“We are investing heavily in digitization so we can reduce personal contact. That way, entrepreneurs can handle all their procedures sitting in their office without needing to leave or look for anyone,” he mentioned at the same meeting.
The leader also pointed out the necessity of revising outdated laws as part of the strategy to improve the business environment.
“There are laws that complicate life. The example I gave was just one example related to the road code. If, for instance, the Traffic Police catch you with your insurance policy, the Road Code mentions about 12,000 meticais [160 euros],” he said, indicating that it is a high amount which leads to attempts of corruption.
