The preliminary official estimate is that the Mozambican economy expanded by about 3.7 percent last year, give or take 0.3 percentage point, Lusa reports.

The Portuguese news agency cites Mozambican Finance Minister Adriano Maleiane as the source of the estimate.

The report says that, in contrast, the International Monetary Fund estimates that the Mozambican economy grew by 2.9 percent last year.

Mr Maleiane is quoted as saying pessimism about the Mozambican economy among other parties spurred his government to do more to improve it.

The government may reduce its forecast of growth for this year, which is 5.3 percent at present, but its new forecast will still be higher than the forecastof 3 percent given by the IMF, Lusa quotes the Minister as saying.