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The Agency for Promotion of Investment and Exports (APIEX) of Mozambique has launched a new website set to boost foreign investments and exports

9 September 2019
ITC News

The International Trade Centre (ITC)’s Partnership for Investment and Growth in Africa (PIGA) supported APIEX in developing a new investment and trade promotion portal to attract more foreign direct investments and boost exports from Mozambique.

The online trade and investment promotion portal of the Agência de Promoção de Investimentos e Exportações (Agency for Promotion of Investment and Exports) is now live.

An impactful platform

‘This website is the first of its kind for Mozambique; it will be a game changer! It will serve two purposes: promoting foreign investments and exports from Mozambique,’ said Mr. Mario Gomes, PIGA national coordinator.

The portal will promote investment in Mozambique by providing all required information to potential foreign investors on the complete investment journey from considering Mozambique as a destination through to the steps and incentives involved in investing in the country. It will also foster exports from Mozambique by providing international buyers with an export directory and supporting Mozambican small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to export.

The window to the world of APIEX

The portal was launched by the Director General of APIEX, Mr. Lourenco Sambo, and Mr. Mario Gomes, PIGA national coordinator, on 29 August 2019 in Maputo, during the Mozambique International Trade Fair (FACIM).

‘The investment and export portal launched today is a step forward for Mozambique to be considered a preferred destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) and compete in the world market. It will also enhance APIEX’s role and mandate as the main and sole investment and export promoter,’ said Mr. Sambo.

APIEX is a fairly new agency, set up in 2016 from the merger of three former institutions promoting trade and exports. The portal marks a new step in APIEX’s positioning as the investment and export promotion agency of Mozambique, as APIEX did not have any website until this date. On this occasion, APIEX also launched its social media presence with the creation of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter pages.

This first launch enabled the APIEX and International Trade Centre (ITC) development teams to collect suggestions and recommendations from diverse stakeholders (public, private and donors, etc.) for further improvements in next few months. Involving various partners will ensure wide usage and dissemination of the platform.

‘The portal raised the interest of several foreign agencies and embassies that would like to get it translated into their own language, which will further strengthen the position and adoption of this portal,’ added Mr. Gomes.

Content-generous platform

‘The portal was developed by the International Trade Centre, taking into account best practices for the creation of such portals after an extensive review of leading investment promotion agencies’ websites,’ explained Mr. Martin Lopez, who acts as an Associate Trade Information Officer at ITC.

The result is a content-generous investment promotion portal that allows APIEX to provide information across a number of areas: living and working in Mozambique, investment procedures and incentives, the support system for investors and the opportunities available.

The portal features several interactive maps, online calculators for tax incentives and labour costs, and the display of critical economic and sector information through a suite of infographics. It is supported by data from sources inside and outside of Mozambique.

Through the portal, SMEs have access to ITC’s market analysis tools (Trade Map and Export Potential Map), ITC Trade Academy, where Mozambican entrepreneurs can follow online classes and strengthen their skills and competencies on various trade- and export-related topics, and to information on market access regulations and export procedures.

Tailored to Chinese investors

‘Specific attention has been paid to the needs of Chinese investors. The website is available in Mandarin and features such as a WeChat account have been added to appeal to the needs of this specific audience,’ Mr. Lopez said.

The portal was developed by ITC as part of PIGA project which aims to promote FDI in the agro-processing and light manufacturing sectors of Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia in order to contribute to sustainable job and growth creation in these countries.

PIGA is financed by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development and implemented by ITC in cooperation with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the China–Africa Development Fund (CADFund).

Under PIGA ITC has developed online investment promotion portals for the three other investment promotion agencies partnering with the project:

Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC)
Zambia Development Agency (ZDA)
Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest)