The Mozambican government collected of 202.25 billion meticais (US$3.43 billion) in taxes last year, excluding taxes on big projects funded by foreigners, AIM reports.

The Mozambican news agency, citing figures given by the tax authority, says revenue last year was 8.5 percent more than initially forecast.

The report says the tax authority forecasts that tax revenue this year will be 222 billion meticais.

The sum this year may turn out to be greater than forecast because the tax authority is bringing its taxpayer database up to date, AIM quotes the head of the authority, Augusto Tacarindua, as telling a press conference.