Maputo, Aug. 6, 2025 (Lusa) - The Mozambique government has guaranteed that it will stop the manufacture of high-alcohol drinks, which have been proven to be "harmful to society", especially young people, promising to punish offenders.
"What must be done is to close down these factories that produce this harmful product. This does not mean eventually shutting down a beverage factory, but rather the production of a certain line of products that are consumed and have proven to be harmful to society, particularly young people," said Inocêncio Impissa, spokesman for the Cabinet, responding to questions from journalists after a meeting of that body in Maputo on Tuesday.
According to Impissa, the measure aims to end the consumption of these products by young people, and for now, the executive is considering moving forward with their removal, especially from commercial establishments near schools, to “prevent direct contact between young people, children, and adolescents with these drinks and other harmful substances.”
The government representative said that a commission has already been set up, led by the Ministry of the Economy, to monitor and follow up on the institutions that produce these drinks, “so that this product is effectively limited”.
On the other hand, “the Economic Activities Inspectorate (...), from a certain date, should ban and withdraw all products of this nature, once decreed, so that they are no longer sold, at least in broad daylight,” he said, adding that, after the instrument is approved, anyone found to be selling this type of alcohol will be held responsible.
The Mozambican government on Tuesday temporarily suspended the issuance of licences for the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in the country, with the aim of curbing underage drinking.
The Ministry of the Economy of Mozambique, in a statement, explained that the measure aims to curb the proliferation of establishments producing and selling alcohol, especially “in the vicinity of educational institutions” and to reduce the “harmful effects of alcohol consumption” especially among young people, according to complaints from various sectors of Mozambican society.
In the same document, the ministry promises to move forward with a new legal regime applicable to the control of the production, marketing and consumption of alcoholic beverages, with the aim of "reducing the harmful effects of harmful alcohol consumption and effectively safeguarding consumer rights".
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