Digital transformation in Mozambique has just entered a new phase. On Tuesday the Government handed out the first 19 licences to digital operators, out of some 170 companies currently going through the review process, in a measure designed to strengthen cybersecurity and set clearer rules for the functioning of the national technology ecosystem.
The ceremony took place in Maputo and marked a step considered decisive by the authorities in consolidating citizens' trust in digital services. Representing the Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation, the sector's permanent secretary, Nilsa Miquidade, highlighted that the growth of the digital economy demands solid mechanisms of protection and oversight.
"Digital transformation is one of the main drivers of economic growth, innovation and social inclusion. However, its success depends on the existence of a legal and institutional framework capable of guaranteeing the protection of citizens, the credibility of digital services and the accountability of those involved," she said, quoted in a ministry statement.
According to her, the granting of licences to intermediary electronic service providers and digital platform operators represents an important milestone in strengthening trust, security and transparency in the Mozambican digital environment, and also marks a new stage in the regulation of the country's digital economy.
The initiative stems from the implementation of the Electronic Transactions Law and its regulations, instruments that establish registration, oversight and licensing mechanisms for operators active in the digital space. The aim, the Government stresses, is not limited to strengthening cybersecurity. It also seeks to create conditions for fairer, more balanced and better-organised competition among the various players in the digital economy.
Of the roughly 170 companies registered in the system of the National Institute of Information and Communication Technologies (Intic), only 19 have so far managed to meet all the requirements for obtaining a licence.
"We have approximately 170 registered entities, but only 19 have met the necessary conditions for licensing. The process requires rigorous verification of each operator's documentary compliance and technical capabilities," explained the president of Intic, Lourino Chemane.
He added that the licensing process will be progressively extended to new categories of operators, including data centres and cloud computing platforms, sectors considered strategic for the development of the country's digital infrastructure.
Licensed companies currently pay a fee equivalent to one minimum wage to obtain the licence. From the next financial year, they will also contribute the equivalent of 1% of their annual revenue.
Despite the new requirements, Lourino Chemane assured that the authorities' intention is not to make business activity harder, but rather to promote the formalisation of the sector and encourage investment.
"Our aim is for regulation to work as an incentive for formalisation and investment and not as a barrier to business activity," he concluded.
