Mozambique's biggest trade fair opens with positive prospects

MAPUTO, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Monday opened the 57th Maputo International Fair (FACIM), the country's biggest industrial, trade, and services fair, with more than 2,000 exhibitors attending, including 350 from 22 foreign countries.

The two-week event, which is held on the outskirts of Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, is expected to provide a platform for enterprises to showcase their products and services, and for businesspeople to seek investment and partnership opportunities.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, President Nyusi urged national producers to fully explore their comparative advantages as the national economy has shown a tendency to improve after the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While stressing the importance to explore different opportunities, with emphasis on preferential access to the markets including China, the European Union, and the Southern African Development Community, Nyusi said it is urgent to expand exports and diversify the flow of investment in agriculture, fishing, logistics services, renewable energies, and tourism.

Nearly 24 percent of the country's economic growth during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic was contributed by the agricultural sector, while the sectors of transport, logistics and communications, and the manufacturing sector contributed 9.6 percent and 8.4 percent, respectively, according to the president.

In a brief conversation with Xinhua, Agostinho Vuma, the president of the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique, said that after two years of restrictions and tightening, the expectations for post-pandemic growth are high.

"We hope that this fair will make a difference, after a long period of restrictions, and the economy will also prosper, given the measures announced by President Filipe Nyusi to accelerate development," he said.