The General Director of the Investment and Export Promotion Agency, IP (APIEX, IP), Mr. Gil Bires, met on January 14, 2025, at the APIEX, IP Headquarters, in Maputo, with representatives of Libya Africa Investment Portfolio business group, accompanied by His Excellency, Mr. Saleh Mohamed Elbuaishi, Ambassador of the State of Libya in Mozambique, as part of the presentation of the rice production and processing project in Mozambique.

The business delegation of the Libya Africa Investment Portfolio group, that is visiting Maputo since January 11^th of the current year, headed by its President, Dr. Mustafa Abofanas, expressed its interest in setting-up a production and processing unit of rice for the domestic and foreign markets, of which  investment will be determined depending on the area (land) to be allocated for the project, preferably in Gaza Province, in the 1^st phase, and further expansion to other regions of the country with potential for rice cultivation.

The Libya Africa Investment Portfolio group is a government entity responsible for Libya’s investment portfolio in Africa, which intends to expand its activities to Mozambique, that is currently investing in several African countries, especially in agriculture, energy, hotel and tourism, services, among other sectors.

The prospective agro-industrial project, according to the President of that business group, will contribute for rice consumption needs of the national market, as well as increasing exports. The same project also aims to boost commercial exchanges and economic cooperation ties between the two countries, as emphasized by His Excellency the Libyan Ambassador to Mozambique.

During their stay, representatives of the Libya Africa Investment Portfolio group plan to travel to Gaza Province, in order to visit some areas available for rice cultivation and evaluate on site the existing infrastructure in that province that can facilitate the activities planned in the scope of the effective implementation of the investment project

The group stated that it is available to invest the amount that the project demands, as long as the confirmation of the availability of land required for this purpose appears to be an essential condition for subsequent actions with a view to starting-up with rice cultivation and subsequent sett-up of the factory.

The General Director of APIEX, IP expressed satisfaction with the commitment demonstrated by the Libya Africa Investment Portfolio group in implementing the aforementioned project, which appears to be structuring for the national economy, considering its impact and socio-economic benefits, having reiterated APIEX’s firm availability in providing institutional assistance to foreign investors for the effective implementation of the project.

On the same occasion, he mentioned the framework of guarantees and tax incentives that the enterprise and its investors will be able to benefit from, in light of the investment legislation in force in Mozambique, having also highlighted the relevance of the same project in the context of the implementation of the National Program to Industrialize Mozambique (PRONAI) and its contribution to the generation of new jobs for nationals as well as the increase and diversification of the national exports.