Ministerial Order No. 131/2025 approving the Strategy for Promoting Public-Private Cooperation in the Area of Water Concession, Distribution and Collection, 2024-2029.

This Ministerial Order approves the Strategy for Promoting Public-Private Cooperation in the Area of Water Concession, Distribution and Collection, 2024-2029. The Strategy presents an overview of the legal and institutional framework, a description of Private Water Suppliers (PWS), an analysis of international practices, the public-private partnership strategy, and the Action Plans, dissemination and implementation. The Strategy for the Promotion of Public–Private Cooperation in the Concession, Distribution and Billing of Water (2024–2029) aims primarily to expand access to safe drinking water and improve service quality nationwide. It recognizes that public water systems in Mozambique remain neither universal nor continuous, making private participation essential to filling coverage gaps. By establishing clear principles—such as complementarity between public and private provision, protection of public health, environmental safeguards, and consumer rights—the Strategy positions private operators as key partners in accelerating the achievement of water‑supply targets. A second objective is to strengthen the institutional and regulatory environment governing private water suppliers (FPA).
The Strategy seeks to simplify the licensing system, clarify legal and technical standards, and enhance regulatory oversight through the AURA and coordinated information systems (SINAS, AURA Net, SIRHA). It also intends to professionalize the sector by developing technical norms tailored to small‑scale suppliers, improving monitoring mechanisms, and providing training in technical, operational, and financial areas. These reforms aim to increase compliance, reduce informality—given that only 19% of FPAs are currently licensed—and reinforce the credibility and safety of services delivered to consumers. Finally, the Strategy aims to promote sustainable and balanced public–private cooperation, ensuring that investment efforts are coordinated, economically viable, and equitable. This includes creating incentives for private expansion in underserved areas, operationalizing frameworks such as the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and AFORAMO, and establishing fair compensation mechanisms for cases of license revocation or overlapping public and private investments. By improving planning, communication, and dispute‑resolution processes, the Strategy seeks to foster a stable environment that encourages private investment while safeguarding public interest, service continuity, and the long‑term sustainability of the water‑supply sector.