PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
TBY talks to Tiago Mendonça, Managing Partner of mzBetar Engenheiros e Consultores (BETAR), on the new urban development project in Maputo and creating a new city entirely from scratch.

BIOGRAPHY
Tiago Mendonça is from Lisbon and studied civil engineering in Lisbon and Spain. He is part of the second generation of BETAR owners and has been with the company for more than 25 years.What have been BETAR's most important projects over the past two decades?
We designed the Tete Bridge over the Zambezi River and have constructed numerous other bridges, roads, and buildings. We have also worked a great deal in rail for the Sena line, where we had to replace some of the old rail bridges. We designed the new headquarters for Banco Comercial e de Investimentos (BCI) in Maputo, and continue to do engineering projects beyond construction or architectural work. We specialize in structural and electrical engineering, sewers, hydraulics, and related ventures. We also have a supervisory role in projects, in addition to acting as project managers and designing. We have completed a good number of buildings, not only in Maputo, but all over the country.
Can you tell us specifically about the Katembe new urban area project?
We started the Katembe Project about eight years ago. We were working with the government to find the best solution for urban expansion in Maputo. The city is in a difficult location from a geographic standpoint, with a river to the south and the sea to the west making any expansion problematic. We started by working on a new bridge connecting the south of Maputo, but it became apparent we could not do the work without also taking care of the urban area of Katembe. We had to develop a wider project, including designing roads and the bridge, as well as urban planning for the new area of Katembe. This is the best project in Africa for three reasons: Maputo's city center is close to the river and the new city center is just five minutes away; the bridge is already under construction and will be finished between 3Q2017 and 1Q2018; and the urban planning scheme we developed with a large team is ready to go, two years before the bridge will be completed. It is unusual for planning to be completed so successfully here in Mozambique. The idea is to create a city for 400,000 people, and work has to start now because the bridge will be ready in two years and we are racing against the clock. Mozambique has a growing population, and Katembe will be a city that welcomes everyone. The middle class in Mozambique is not able to afford housing. Therefore, this is a fantastic opportunity to build houses that Mozambicans can actually afford. In addition, South Africa is only one hour away and many South Africans would love a second house in Mozambique, so that is a market we are also going to tap into. The project is sound and there are good reasons for Maputo to grow. There is a market both within and outside of the country, so if we work toward that then success is assured.
What are the nuances of creating a new city from scratch?
The disadvantage of creating a city from scratch is that we have to be careful not to dehumanize it. The task for architects and engineers is to focus on the lifestyle of Mozambicans and to design a real city for them. Maputo itself is a well-planned city. From a planning point of view, it is one of the best cities on the continent. We have to be sensitive to the heritage of Maputo while planning using modern methods. We have learned from past errors. We are not going to make a central business district; we want a city where residents are not segregated. All the areas will be mixed-use spaces, with some offices and some residential. More importantly, we also do development by the book. All the legal requirements are met, including environmental impact studies, public consultations, and so forth. We truly believe this is the best project in Africa and that within a decade it will completely change Maputo. It will be an even better and nicer Maputo on the other side of the river.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Review: Economy
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Aluminum Legacy
Mozambique is the second-largest producer of aluminum in Africa and the 14th in the world. Since 2000, it has been producing aluminum for export, and in 2015 Midal Cables opened a factory near Mozal; the country's largest aluminum smelter. This could be the start of a Mozambican aluminum value chain.
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Hon. Jorge Olívio Penicela Nhambiu, Minister, Science and Technology, Higher and Technical Vocational Education (MCTESTP)
TBY talks to Hon. Jorge Olívio Penicela Nhambiu, Minister of Science and Technology, Higher and Technical Vocational Education (MCTESTP), on bringing science and technology to rural areas and increasing research in the country.
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Between 2015 and 2016, Mozambique fell five positions in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index. The government is investing in the GovNET and e-BAU platforms to facilitate procedures and cut the costs of acquiring business licenses and improving services provided to the public.
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TBY talks to Dr. João M. Carvalho Fumane, Director General of Hospital Central de Maputo (HCM), about the range of services on offer and what is being done to further excellence in the health sector
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Hon. Jorge Ferrão, Minister, Education and Human Development
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Prof. Doctor João Leopoldo da Costa, Rector, Instituto Superior de Ciências e Tecnologia de Moçambique (ISCTEM)
TBY talks to Prof. Doctor João Leopoldo da Costa, Rector of Instituto Superior de Ciências e Tecnologia de Moçambique (ISCTEM), on the perils of the internet on education and the quality of its high school.
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Mozambeach
With white-sand beaches, scuba diving, and game reserves among its wide range of accommodation, Mozambique is a goldmine for tourism. However, to attract the number of tourists the country is aiming for, and entitled to, it will have to compete with its considerably more popular neighbors.
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Smart Choices
Foreign investments are sources of capital, foreign exchange, and technical know-how for developing countries such as Mozambique. Over the past three decades, Mozambique has been successfully striving to ensure a favorable legal framework for foreign private investment.
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