On March 28, 2025, the Government of Mozambique held an event in Maputo to officially launch the Mitigation Action Facility’s support to the Mozambique Waste Management project (“ValoRe – From Waste to Resources”), the country’s National Sustainable Waste Management Programme led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (MAAP) in collaboration with its implementing partners (namely, National Fund for Sustainable Development (FNDS), National Association of Municipalities of Mozambique (ANAMM), and Enabel – Belgian Agency for International Cooperation). The event aimed to publicly confirm the Facility’s support and promote stakeholder engagement, particularly for the establishment of the Programme’s Technical Coordination Committee. It also served to strengthen ongoing collaboration with target municipalities, which were invited to participate in follow-up working sessions.
The Mozambique Waste Management project will support the government of Mozambique in addressing the challenges associated with municipal solid waste management (MSWM) through a comprehensive and ambitious intervention with the final aim of building a circular economy. To do so, the project will promote investments in Integrated Waste Treatment and Disposal Facilities (i.e. Material Recovery Facilities and sanitary landfills/composting facilities) in three municipalities.
Event Opening and Stakeholder Engagement
The event was inaugurated by Gustavo Sobrinho Dgedge, Secretary of State for Land and Environment, and included welcoming remarks by Guilhermina Amurane, National Director for Environment (DINAB), and Sandra Galbusera, National Director of Enabel in Mozambique.
Participants received presentations on:
- The objectives and structure of the ValoRe Programme;
- The scope and expected impacts of the Mitigation Action Facility’s support;
- The operationalisation of the Environmental Packaging Tax (TAE), including a new digital platform set to launch in September 2026;
- The planned composition and role of the Technical Coordination Committee.
Unexpected but Valuable Outcomes of the Event
In addition to planned agenda items, several valuable outcomes emerged from the discussions:
- Stakeholders suggested renaming the Environmental Packaging Tax (TAE) to avoid confusion with an existing municipal tax of the same abbreviation;
- Development partners such as JICA and UN-Habitat expressed interest in co-financing infrastructure projects in the municipality of Pemba;
- Representatives from the private sector, particularly commercial banks, showed strong interest in engaging further with the Programme.
Diverse and High-Level Stakeholder Participation
The launch event brought together a dynamic mix of 72 participants – with approximately 30% women – reflecting the broad stakeholder ecosystem critical to the success of the project. The strong turnout underscored widespread interest and commitment to advancing sustainable waste management and climate action in Mozambique.
Participants included representatives from government institutions at national and municipal levels (e.g. Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, City Councils of Maputo and Pemba), the private sector (e.g. CTA, Ecolife), and commercial banks (e.g. BCI, Standard Bank). A broad range of development partners (e.g. Enabel, GIZ, JICA) and civil society organisations (e.g. ANAMM, Repensar) also contributed, ensuring an inclusive and multi-stakeholder dialogue.
Next Steps
Building on the event’s momentum, the following next steps are planned:
- Convene the first meeting of the Technical Coordination Committee in June 2025;
- Organise technical follow-up sessions with municipalities of Nacala and Nampula in April;
- Explore co-financing opportunities in Pemba with interested development partners.