The Ministry of Transport and Logistics of Mozambique announced the maintenance of public transport tariffs in the capital agglomeration of Maputo. This decision was reached after an agreement with carriers, which provides for financial compensation for three months.
The agreement was concluded between the Government and the Federation of Mozambican Road Transport Associations (Fematro). This was reported by the national director of transport and safety, Alberto Matusse, in Maputo following several rounds of negotiations.
Matusse stated at a press conference that there would be no increase in public transport fares starting Monday, and passengers would continue to use services at the current tariff without any increases related to this agreement.
According to the director's report, the compensation ranges from 25 thousand meticais (about 350 euros) to 90 thousand meticais (about 1260 euros) monthly and per unit of transport, depending on the vehicle category. This measure is temporary and initially calculated for three months, during which the Government will support the operators.
This decision followed Fematro's announcement on October 30 of a plan to increase semi-public transport tariffs in the capital agglomeration by five meticais starting November 7. At that time, the minimum fare was 15 meticais (0.21 euros), while carriers initially demanded an increase of 20 meticais (0.28 euros), citing rising operating costs.
Responding to questions about carrier complaints, who claim they did not receive compensation in the previous support period, Matusse called for submitting supporting documents to sectoral representative structures for analysis by competent authorities. He emphasized that Fematro is ready to accept complaints and forward them to the relevant departments.
The director admitted that the financing of this support, guaranteed by the State Budget, may prove unsustainable in the long term, but considered it extremely difficult to pass the costs on to passengers through fare increases. Therefore, he advocated for continuing the dialogue to find sustainable solutions.
In turn, the president of Fematro, Paulo Matusse, confirmed the achievement of the agreement and noted that negotiations with the Government will continue to find a solution that meets the needs of operators without harming passengers. Matusse stated: 'We will continue to negotiate with the Government to find a long-term solution that will be good for the people of Mozambique and for carriers as a whole.'
In May, diesel and gasoline prices rose by 45.5% and 12.1% respectively, prompting carriers to demand a tariff review. To avoid an immediate increase, the Government introduced a temporary compensation mechanism that was in effect from June to August.
