Cashew nut smuggling causes a loss of 457 million Meticais to the State

The Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, intends to strengthen measures to combat cashew nut smuggling.

Speaking today in Maputo at the 1st Session of the Almond Committee, the minister responsible, Roberto Albino, estimated that, in the last three years, approximately 35,000 tons of cashew nuts were illegally exported through schemes that defrauded the State of around 457 million Meticais.

Albino believes the time has come to put an end to this situation by adopting concrete measures.

Some of the cases were identified by cross-referencing information from the customs services of the destination countries, particularly India and Vietnam, which do not match the declarations made by national operators.

Besides chestnuts, sesame is another product that tops the list of smuggled goods. Currently, there is a list of 52 companies operating in the country that are accused of illegal exports, representing a loss to the State of around 260 million US dollars.