Solid post-flood recovery by 2002 - minister

Mozambican Finance Minister Luisa Diogo said in an interview with Reuters on Monday that Mozambique could return to double-digit growth rates by 2002.

Diogo said she was optimistic about the country’s economic recovery from devastating floods earlier this year. She said that work to rehabilitate roads, bridges and railways destroyed by the floods had speeded up after initial delays. But she said the country remained hampered by debt servicing costs despite international support writing off about 85 percent of its foreign debt.

“But in the years to come I’m very optimistic based on the programmes we have to implement. 2002 will be one of the best years for growth if everything goes according to our programme,” she said. “We need to make more in-depth reforms - improve productivity, reduce poverty, deal with malaria, HIV, infrastructure and private sector development.”