Mining companies owe the Mozambican tax 2.15 billion Meticals (more than 31 million USD), said Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Estevão Pale.
Pale spoke during the opening of the 10th Coordination Council of the institution he heads on Monday (22).
That ruler advanced that in 2024 301.3 million (4.7 million USD) were collected from tax debts of companies operating in the mining sector.
Stephen Pale also stated that in 2024 there was an increase in the licensing of new mining operators, and the Ministry registered the issue of 1,858 titles, representing 69% of pending applications. Under the Energy for All Programme, the Minister announced that in the first half of 2025 only 264.3 thousand new electrical connections were made, raising the rate of access to energy to 64%, towards the goal of universalization by 2030.
In the area of natural gas, Pale mentioned the approval of the Northern Coral Project FLNG in April this year, which will produce and liquefy natural gas from a floating platform and generate US$23 billion of revenue for the state. This is a replica of the Coral Sul FLNG model, which has been in operation since 2022, and has already exported 120 shipments of LNG and 17 condensed to the international market, generating more than USD 235 million in revenue for the State.
Still in the field of natural gas, Stephen Pale revealed that next November the Inhassoro Hydrocarbon Processing Infrastructure, operated by South African oil Sasol, will be inaugurated, which will allow the production of natural gas, light oil and GPL, also known as cooking gas, within the PSA, which will strengthen the availability of this energy resource in the domestic market.
" We are preparing Mozambique to be not only a producer, but also a firm supervisor and an active participant in the major energy projects," Pale stressed.
In the margins of the meeting, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Petroleum Institute (INP), Nazário Bangalane, stressed that the results achieved confirm the regulator’s commitment to ensuring transparency, rigour and maximisation of gains for the country.
"The INP has been strengthening supervision, control of recoverable costs and measurement of production. Our focus is to ensure that resources directly benefit Mozambicans, in particular local communities," the PCA said.
The meeting also discussed the review of the Laws of Mines, Oils and Local Content, as well as the regulation of the Electricity Act, reforms considered essential for industrialization, job creation and justice in the distribution of the benefits of natural resources.
The 10th Coordinator Council of the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, two days, took place under the motto "Promoting Access and Local Use of Mineral and Energy Resources, Towards Integrated Development of Mozambique."
