Ireland supported launch of Municipal Development Programme

With support from Ireland, the Municipal Development Program – PRODEM, was officially launched on November 26th in Pemba, the capital city of Cabo Delgado province, in northern Mozambique. The programme aims to “Contribute to urban poverty reduction and sustainable development of the municipalities”.

The development and strengthening of municipal systems and services is key to address urban poverty, among other aspects. PRODEM focuses on three main areas i) improvement in municipal administration and service delivery, ii) resilience to climate change impact, iii) social accountability and citizen’s participation. It encompasses 26 municipalities of the central and northern part of Mozambique.

Roque Silva Samuel, Vice-Minister of State Administration and Public Function (MAEFP) led the official launch of PRODEM. This was an opportunity to network, discuss programme implementation and challenges phased. The event took place following the signing of an agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) between the Government of Mozambique, represented by the Ministry of State Administration and Public Function and the development partners (including Ireland), represented by DANIDA.

With an indicative budget of USD 26 million for the period 2015-2017, PRODEM is expected to bring about change in how municipalities are run so as to better serve their citizens. The main donors of the programme includes Ireland, Denmark, Switzerland and Sweden.

Maputo December 21st, 2015