Conference

IGM Annual Conference 2021

The economic impacts of COVID-19 in Mozambique and future perspectives

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had severe economic impacts on countries across the world, plunging GDP growth and leaving many countries struggling with high unemployment rates. This is particularly pronounced in countries with limited fiscal space to take on the unprecedented health and socio-economic challenges posed by the pandemic.

This is also the case for Mozambique. But what exactly is the macroeconomic impact of COVID-19 in the country? How has it affected families and livelihoods? What are its effects in the local labour market, in particular for those working in the informal sector in urban centres? And most importantly, what implications do these impacts have for policy-making in planning recovery?

These are some of the questions to be raised during the IGM Annual Conference 2021, held on 24 November 2021 in a hybrid mode in Maputo, Mozambique. The event will bring together local and international academics and development practitioners to present and discuss recent research on the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mozambique and their policy implications.

The conference is structured around three thematic sessions with topics ranging from macroeconomic and labour market impacts of COVID-19 to the impact of the pandemic on the economic development in urban areas of the country. The event culminates with a panel discussion on the policy implications of the research presented.

The conference will be held in a hybrid format. Due to COVID-19 related restrictions to organizing events in closed spaces, in-person participation is limited and is by invitation only.

The conference language will be Portuguese. Simultaneous interpretation Portuguese-English-Portuguese will be made available.

Preliminary programme – Wednesday, 24 November 2021

Session 1: Opening of the conference

08:00-08:30 Registration and coffee/tea
08:30-08:35 Welcoming words
Representative of IGM programme
 
08:35-08:55

Opening of the conference
Finn Tarp, Professor of Development Economics, Coordinator of the Development, Economics Research Group (DERG), University of Copenhagen
Fernando Lichucha, Dean, Faculty of Economics, University of Eduardo Mondlane (UEM)
Anna-Kaisa Heikkinen, Ambassador, Embassy of Finland in Maputo
Representative of the IGM programme partners
Enilde Sarmento, Director, National Directorate for Economic and Development Policies (DNPED), Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF)

08:55-09:00

Brief introduction to the theme and programme of the conference
Representative of IGM programme

 

Session 2: Economic impact of COVID-19

09:00-09:05

Introduction to the theme and to the speakers
Michael Keller, Research Fellow, University of Copenhagen
Moderator

09:05-09:25

The macroeconomic impact of COVID-19 in Mozambique: A social accounting matrix approach
Rosário Betho, DNPED-MEF | slides (in Portuguese)

09:25-09:45
 

Results of a telephone survey on the impact of COVID-19 in Mozambique
Mario Negre, Senior Economist, World Bank Mozambique | slides

09:45-10:05

As políticas de resposta do COVID-19 e o sistema de benefícios fiscais existente em Moçambique na resposta da mitigação da pandemia do COVID-19 em 2020
Finório Castigo, DNPED-MEF | slides (in Portuguese)

10:05-10:15
 
Q&A
Michael Keller
, Research Fellow, University of Copenhagen
Moderator
 
10:15-10:25

Commentator: Summary of research findings presented in Session 2 and some policy implications
Representative of DNPED-MEF | video recording (in Portuguese)

10:25-10:45 Coffee break

 

Session 3: Labour market impacts of COVID-19

  10:45-10:50

Introduction to the theme and to the speakers
Ricardo Santos, Research Fellow, UNU-WIDER
Moderator

10:50-11:05

Graduating in the shadow of the pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 on the transition of young Mozambicans from school to work
Ivan Manhique, Consultant, UNU-WIDER | slides (in Portuguese) | video recording (in Portuguese)

11.05-11:20

Adding insult to injury: the impacts of COVID-19 on urban youth in Mozambique
Eva-Maria Egger Research Fellow UNU-WIDER | slides (in Portuguese) | video recording (in Portuguse)

11:20-11:40

Essential work: using a social reproduction lens to investigate the re-organization of work during the COVID-19 pandemic
Rosimina Ali, Researcher, IESE | slides (in Portuguese) | video recording (in Portuguese)

11:40-12:00
 

 Informal freelancers in the time of COVID-19. Insights from a digital matching platform in Mozambique
Sam Jones, Research Fellow, UNU-WIDER | slides | video recording (in Portuguese)

12:00-12:15

Q&A
Ricardo Santos
, Research Fellow, UNU-WIDER
Moderator

12:15-12:25

Commentator: Summary of research findings presented in Session 3 and some policy implications
Ângelo Nhalidede, Deputy Director, National Directorate for Economic and Development Policies (DNPED), Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) | video recording (in Portuguese)

12:25-13:30 Lunch

 

Session 4: COVID-19 and economic development in urban centres

  13:30-13:35

Introduction to the theme and to the speakers
Eva-Maria Egger, Research Fellow, UNU-WIDER
Moderator

13:35-13:55
 

The role of trust in compliance with social distancing measures in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic
Gimelgo Xirinda, Independent Consultant | slides (in Portuguese) | video recording (in Portuguese)

13:55-14:15

Economic inequality in Mozambique: causes, effects and solutions
Fernando Lichucha, Dean, Faculty of Economics, UEM | slides (in Portuguese) | video recording (in Portuguese)

14:15-14:35

Impact of COVID-19 on the urban informal sector
Alex Warren-Rodríguez, UNDP | slides (in Portuguese)

14:35-14:50
 

Q&A
Eva-Maria Egger
, Research Fellow, UNU-WIDER
Moderator

14:50-15:00

Commentator: Summary of research findings presented in Session 4 and some policy implications
Josenilde Janguia, Professor, Faculty of Economics, UEM

15:00-15:30 Coffee break

 

Session 5: Panel discussion | 'Economic impact of COVID-19 in Mozambique: what are the policy implications?'

 15:30-15:35

Opening of session 5 and a brief introduction to the topic
Moderator

15:35-15:50

Introduction to the theme
International trends, lessons learned, and highlights from previous conference sessions—implications for Mozambique
Sam Jones, Research Fellow, UNU-WIDER | slides (in Portuguese) | video recording (in Portuguese)

15:50-15:55
 

Presentation of the members of the panel
Moderator

15:55-16:20

Panel discussion:

  1. Amilcar Tivane, Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF)
  2. Assa Guambe, National Directorate of Observation of Labour Market, Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MITSS)
  3. Representative of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Action (MGCAS)
  4. José Guambe, Center for Economic and Management Studies (CEEG), Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM)
  5. Michael Sambo, Researcher, Instituto de Estudos Sociais e Económicos (IESE)
16:20-16:50

Debate

16:50-17:00

Closing of the event
Ângelo Nhalidede, Deputy Director, National Directorate for Economic and Development Policies (DNPED), Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF)