The Mozambican government is in the final phase of drafting complementary regulations for laws covering the mining and petroleum industries, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Mining Resources said, according to local media reports.

“After the adoption of the new laws and tax regimes by the Parliament in August and September this year, we are now completing the drafting of the regulations, which should be ready by the end of this year,” said Alfredo Nampete, speaking in the capital Maputo on behalf of the Minister of Mining Resources.

The regulations are being drafted with the co-operation of operators in the mining and oil sectors, said the Permanent Secretary, quoted by local media.

The new laws were enacted earlier this year, reiterating the State’s ownership of oil resources and requiring the participation of the state-owned enterprise in the development of new projects.

The concession contracts for oil projects will be made public and contracts for the supply of goods and services to companies developing new oil projects in the country will also be subject to public tender, according to the new Petroleum Law.

The new Mining Law defends the principle of collecting a “fair income” in mining projects for State coffers and the exclusivity of small-scale concessions to Mozambican nationals.