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Visit of AFD Africa Department Director to Mozambique

Jean-Marc Gravellini, Director of the French Development Agency Sub Saharan Africa Department in Paris, visited Mozambique from November 28th to December 1st 2009 to meet and strengthen cooperation with AFD partners.

J.M. Gravellini’s visit to the country, which was intense and operational, concentrated on two keys sectors of AFD activities in Mozambique: infrastructure and support to private and financial sectors.

J.M. Gravellini first visited the Limpopo National Park (contiguous to the South African Kruger Park), which benefits from an AFD € 11 M grant. Then, he got the opportunity to visit projects financed by AFD in the water sector (access to drinking water, € 7 M grant) and in the energy sector (access to energy, € 20 M very concessional loan to the State), during his visit to Maputo's peri-urban areas.

This mission was the opportunity for J.M. Gravellini to focus on the energy sector, which is strategic in this country of huge energy potential, but remains slightly developed (with an electrification rate of 14% in 2009), while the regional context offers a lot of possibilities. He attended meetings with the Minister of Energy and the CEO of EDM (Electricidade de Moçambique, Energy Public Utility) to discuss issues regarding ongoing needs and future activities in the light of international debates about climate-related issues.

He also had meetings with private companies and Mozambican main banks representatives, private and financial sectors' support being one of AFD’s key activity in the country. From the contacts made, it results that, with a high and stable economic growth (more than 5% in 2009) and an improving business environment, the country’s perspectives in terms of economic development are positive and promising. J.M. Gravellini reminded the availability of AFD Group to support the development of public and private companies, banks as well as Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), thanks to its wide range of financial instruments.