Maputo, Mozambique, 19 Jan – Portuguese firm Aguas de Portugal (AdP) is to begin solid waste collections in a still-to-be-decided district of the Mozambican capital and will also give financial support to the project.

The accord, reached this week in Maputo between AdP executives and representatives of various Mozambican municipalities, is seen as the start of cooperation ventures between the Portuguese utility and a number of cities in the African state, including Maputo, Beira, Pemba and Matola.

Enrique Castilblanques of AdP said the current partnership could be widened to other areas.

“It’s a kick-off. The details of projects where AdP will cooperate will now be defined. There’s a strong intention to go forward together in the future”, he told Portuguese news agency Lusa.

Primary and secondary collection of solid urban waste, as well as the building of a new landfill and the covering of an existing one at Infulene, in Maputo, could be future areas of cooperation, added the AdP executive.

Under the theme “making the environment sector a business”, the accord also allowed an exchange of “successful and unsuccessful experiences” in Portugal and Mozambique in the areas of solid and water waste disposal. (macauhub)