Mozambique has revised downwards its forecast for 2020 economic growth to 2.2 percent from the initial 5.5 percent, citing the impact of coronavirus on the economy.
Finance Adriano Maleiane said on Monday that the revision was necessitated by the need to move resources from productive sectors towards strengthening the public health system.
“In light of the new coronavirus developments, the government had to revise this year’s growth to 2.2 percent, down from the initial forecast of 5.5 percent, because budgetary allocation for 2020 public health has become a priority,” Maleiane told a meeting with development partners on Monday.
At the meeting, the Mozambican government asked its foreign partners for US$700 million to face the impact of the pandemic of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Mozambique logged its first COVID-19 case on Sunday.
CM/jn/APA