- Mozambique is to benefit from a grant of 12 million euros as part of the bilateral development funding with Germany.
The grant, announced by the German government, will go towards the development and support of programmes in basic education, technical professional training, decentralised planning and finance as well as in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
Under the agreement, it has also been announced that further funding will go towards the financial sector to improve savings, while also increasing access to credit, especially for the rural poor.
The three years development assistance to Mozambique is a result of the negotiations earlier this year by the two governments. The announcement said the latest funding will be spread mainly across the three provinces of Inhambane in the south, and Sofala and Manica in the central region, while part of the money will also be towards direct state budget support.
Meanwhile, the government of Mozambique launched the the bridge over the river Zambezi river on Sunday, the launch the signalled the end of hardships between citizens of the same country divided by deep water of the Zambezi.
Said to be one of the biggest in Africa, the bridge at 2376 metres long and 16 metres was completed after three and a half years of building work, by a Portuguese consortium Mota-Engil/Soares da Costa as part of an 80 million Euro investment which used around 66 million Euros with 25 million Euros from the European Commission, 20 million Euros from the Italian government, 18 million Euros from the Swedish government and around nine million Euros from Japan, as well Mozambique's own funds.
The bridge which has been named after President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique, joins the districts of Caia in Sofala with Chimuara in Zambezi.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.