The National Roads Administration (ANE) has awarded contracts for the paving of 485 kilometres of roads in Inhambane and Sofala for 20.6 billion meticais (€292.8 million), according to official information.
According to the contract award notices published by ANE’s provincial delegations, the contracts concern new lots for road engineering and paving projects, five of which are located in Inhambane province, in southern Mozambique, and four in Sofala, in the centre of the country.
The awards fall under the 2026–2031 Accelerated National Road Rehabilitation and Construction Programme, known as “More Roads – 2031”, and cover national and regional road links.
In Inhambane province, the contracts total 285 kilometres and 10,104,807,009 meticais (€143.6 million).
The contracts were awarded to a consortium comprising the companies Maripoma Entreprise Limitada, from Mozambique, Maripoma Entreprise Limitada, from Ghana, CC Building Limitada and GWIC Moçambique Limitada.
The largest lot in Inhambane covers the 70-kilometre Sitila–Funhalouro section of road R444, awarded for 2,469,027,132 meticais (€35 million).
On the same road corridor, the 40-kilometre Massinga–Sitila section was awarded for 1,612,980,998 meticais (€22.9 million).
On national road N222, the 58-kilometre Mapinhane–Macumene section was awarded for 1,946,521,803 meticais (€27.6 million), while the 57-kilometre Macumene–Mabote section represents an investment of 1,839,547,916 meticais (€26.1 million).
On road R483, the 60-kilometre Inharrime–Panda section was awarded for 2,236,729,159 meticais (€31.8 million).
In Sofala province, the contracts cover 200 kilometres and total 10,514,039,172 meticais (€149.2 million). They concern four sections of national road N282, an important link between the province’s coastal and inland areas.
The first two lots, Dondo–Semacuze and Semacuze–Muanza, each covering 50 kilometres, were awarded to Zhongmei Engineering Group for 2,827,507,108 meticais (€40.1 million) and 2,860,017,657 meticais (€40.6 million), respectively.
The 50-kilometre Muanza–Inhaminga section was awarded to Mzansi Civils e Tar for 2,472,456,197 meticais (€35.1 million).
The Inhaminga–Matondo section, also 50 kilometres long, was awarded to Porto Cargas for 2,354,058,210 meticais (€33.4 million).
Across the two provinces, the contracts now awarded represent an investment of 20,618,846,181 meticais (€292.8 million) for the rehabilitation and paving of 485 kilometres of roads.
The Minister of Transport and Logistics, João Matlombe, explained this week that the national programme is valued at US$2.8 billion (€2.5 billion) and envisages work on more than 3,000 kilometres of roads across the country.
READ: Mozambique: Government planning over 3,000kms road works in 2027
Minister Matlombe said the initiative was now at a concrete stage of implementation, with public tenders launched and bids under evaluation ahead of contract awards. “It is important to highlight that this initiative is already at a concrete stage of implementation, with public tenders having been launched for the execution of the works,” he said.
He added that, following the completion of the evaluation and award processes, the government expected to proceed with mobilisation and the start of work during the first quarter of 2027.
The minister also advocated a change in the management of the national road network, based on greater rigour in planning, setting priorities and using available resources.
“We cannot continue intervening on roads only when management reaches critical levels,” Matlombe said, advocating a strategy based on preventive maintenance, quality of works, compliance with contractual deadlines and stronger supervision.
Source: Integrity / Lusa / RTP