Mozambique will digitise all government services, modelling its operations on Kenya and Rwanda, to help pool revenues from fees and improve competitiveness.

The move, announced on Tuesday by President Daniel Chapo, places digitalisation as a governance overhaul rather than a mere technological upgrade. Maputo is borrowing a leaf from Kenya and Rwanda, who have been aggressive in digitalising government services, including passport applications, land registration and even court processes as well as renewal of driver’s licences.

The programme launched on Tuesday will integrate government systems, improving public service delivery, and strengthening economic competitiveness, a presidential dispatch indicated.

Rwanda was earlier in putting nearly all government services on digital platforms, allowing users minimal interactions with human civil servants and paying through non-cash means such as mobile money. Kenya too, has followed that route, providing one central payment channel via Mpesa as well as other digital means for services.

Speaking at the opening of the country’s first national conference on digital transformation in Maputo, Chapo framed digitalisation as a governance overhaul rather than simply a technological upgrade.“Countries are not transformed only through physical infrastructure. They are also transformed through digital infrastructure that connects citizens to the state and to opportunity,” he said in a statement.

The programme involves creation of a Multi-Sector Technical Commission on Digital Services, tasked with drafting a national roadmap to integrate public digital systems by mid-2026. The commission will catalogue existing platforms, promote interoperability across institutions, eliminate duplication, and define a unified national integration strategy.

Administrative burdensAcknowledging fragmentation across public agencies, Chapo said separate databases and non-communicating systems have created inefficiencies and administrative burdens for citizens.“There must be no technological islands within the state,” he said.

Under the plan, citizens and businesses will be able to access services—including identity documentation, licensing, tax payments, and business registration—remotely, through interoperable platforms and a centralised Citizen Portal.

Officials say deeper digital integration could cut bureaucratic delays, enhance transparency, and bolster Mozambique’s investment climate, as the country seeks to expand private-sector participation and align with regional digital trade frameworks under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Mozambique has already stablished a dedicated Ministry of Communications and Digital Transformation to lead the digital programme.

The announcement comes as several provinces recover from recent flooding. And Chapo linked digital reform to disaster preparedness, highlighting the need for early warning systems, digital coordination platforms, and secure preservation of administrative records. Without such systems, he warned, governments would be less able to alert citizens in time and maintain institutional continuity during natural disasters.

Early warning systems, emergency coordination platforms, and territorial planning can make the difference between tragedy and the protection of our communities.”While the initiative reflects strong political backing, it may also require coordination among institutions, infrastructure expansion, improved digital literacy, and sustained financing, a dispatch said.

Mozambique is ranked 177th out of 193 countries in the 2024 United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI), with a score of 0.2848 out of 1. This remains below the sub-regional (0.3903), African (0.4247), and global (0.6382) averages.

In terms of cybersecurity, the country was placed in the third tier of the 2024 ITU Global Cybersecurity Index, indicating significant room for improvement in law, technology, and capacity building. Just about 25 percent of Mozambicans can access the internet.

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