Mozambique, Sustainable Development through improved Local Governance

SDLG Mozambique builds on earlier work in land administration to help municipalities increase their own source revenue and improve how they serve their communities.

Objective

The programme focuses on improving local revenue collection, particularly through property taxation. By building on previous experience in Mozambique, it supports municipalities in making better use of land administration systems. This contributes to better service delivery, more inclusive policies, stronger citizen engagement and more effective local leadership.

VNG International builds on earlier land administration work in Mozambique, particularly the BLAS projects, and takes the next step by focusing on property taxation. The programme started in the municipality of Beira and is now expanding to other municipalities, including Chimoio.

Approach

A key element is linking existing cadastral systems to tax systems, whether newly developed or already in use. This helps municipalities improve revenue collection and learn from each other through collaboration.

Results

• Intermunicipal collaboration between Beira and Chimoio has enabled ongoing technical exchange between departments such as IT, taxation, urban planning and communication.
• A leadership programme has been executed with the staff of CMB, to enhance their planning and management skills. The community stakeholder involvement by the local councils has been increased.
• Urban mapping has also improved through the use of aerial imagery, while digitalisation of tax systems is helping to increase own source revenue. Together, these steps contribute to better municipal services.