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Given the relevance and scale of the opportunities and challenges for the period 2014-2023, the following is anticipated:
a) Increased access to diversified forms of energy, in a sustainable way, contributing to the industrialization and economic and social development of the country;
b) Strengthening the institutional capacity of the State to implement promotion, facilitation and regulation measures necessary for the development of energy infrastructures; and
c) Strengthening the role of Mozambique in regional economic integration.

The Government set the following specific objectives by 2023:
(...)
g) Preservation of the environment, establishing the necessary technical and economic conditions.

Over the review period, various new laws have been enacted with respect to technical barriers to trade and sanitary and phytosanitary measures, inter alia to ensure Mozambique's conformity with treaty obligations and to update its regulations according to the authorities. These include laws relating to: (...) GMOs; (...)

As at the time of its previous review, Mozambique continues to impose an export tax of 18% of the f.o.b. customs value on raw or unprocessed cashews, which was in place to encourage domestic processing of cashew nuts and promote employment. New export taxes have been introduced on raw and processed timber. The Government does not provide any export finance, insurance or guarantee services. The objective of these measures is to encourage domestic processing and promote employment, and in the case of timber, to protect the environment.

Mozambique has significant potential in tourism based on its range of beach holiday products, ecotourism, cultural diversity, and extensive coastline. The Government has made tourism a development priority since 2000. The relevance of tourism to economic growth and poverty reduction is also acknowledged by the Strategic Plan for the Tourism Sector, 2004-2014.

(...) Mozambique is also prone to natural disasters and ranks third amongst African countries most affected by weather-related hazards.

The Government acknowledges that the welfare of Mozambique's population, economic growth and the achievement of development and poverty-reduction goals depend on the sustainable use of natural resources and environmental protection. More than 82% of jobs nationwide depend on natural resources. The country is richly endowed with a large variety of mineral resources. Inclusive, sustainable and transparent management of natural resources is one of the most critical challenges facing Mozambique.

Trade and investment-related policy objectives are also contained in the Government's Five Year Plans. The current Plan is for the period 2015-2019 and it is the Government's framework document for galvanizing donor support for its development priorities. Previously, the Government had also simultaneously issued Action Plans for the Reduction of Poverty (PARP), the latest being PARP 2011-2014. However, these PARPs have been discontinued in an effort to streamline planning. The objectives of the Five-Year Government Programme for 2015 2019 are to: increase employment, productivity and competitiveness in Mozambique; improve the living conditions of Mozambicans in rural and urban areas; and promote peace and democracy. [10] (...)

[10] The five specific priorities of the plan are: (i) consolidation of national unity, peace and sovereignty; (ii) development of human and social capital; (iii) promotion of employment, productivity and competitiveness; (iv) development of economic and social infrastructure; and (v) sustainable management of natural resources and the environment.

The EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement with European Union), inter alia, contains articles on cooperation and/or exchange of information in the areas of: customs and administration; sustainable development, including labour and environmental protection; (...)

The World Economic Forum has identified the most problematic factors for doing business in Mozambique as being: access to financing; an inefficient government bureaucracy; and corruption. The OECD has highlighted major infrastructure gaps across all sectors ; and the IMF has recommended that Mozambique's reform agenda should focus on enhancing public financial management, developing the institutional framework to prepare for the management of natural resource wealth, reforming the energy sector, improving access to financial services and strengthening the business environment. Many of these impediments have been highlighted in the Government's Industrial Policy and Strategy for 2016-2025 (see above), which also sees key barriers to the development of industrial activities as including a lack of qualifications among the local workforce; supply deficiencies for water and electricity and their comparatively high cost; an unattractive tax system; and delays in customs clearance.