On June 17 and 18, the Banco de Moçambique delivered a training session at its Quelimane Branch (FIQ) to 43 journalists from media organizations in Zambézia province, in partnership with the National Journalists' Union (SNJ).

The event, in light of the “Economics for All” economic education programme, sought to equip journalists with knowledge on the functioning of the foreign exchange market and the Mozambique Sovereign Wealth Fund.

Speaking at the opening of the event, José Muane, Head of the Administration and Accounting Service at FIQ, stated that the quality of journalistic information is of utmost importance because it “directly influences the public’s understanding and opinions regarding matters falling within the Bank’s mandate, including monetary, prudential and foreign exchange issues, among others.”

During his remarks, Muane stated that the Banco de Moçambique is committed to contributing to “the strengthening of the technical, analytical and interpretative capacities of the media, given the context in which we live, marked by misinformation and the hasty and distorted interpretation of economic phenomena.”

The central role of the press as a strategic partner of the central bank was reiterated by José Muane during the closing ceremony of the training session. On that occasion, he stressed that the regulator of the national financial system recognizes and values the role of the press in building a more informed and participatory society and that “the Bank is committed to continuing to promote this type of initiative and to strengthening its strategic relationship with the media.”

Speaking on behalf of the journalists, Quincardete Paulo, representative of the Provincial Journalists’ Union in Quelimane, praised the central bank’s initiative, stressing that the knowledge acquired will add value to the proper dissemination of information of public interest with rigour and responsibility.

Presentations were delivered by Elton Cavadias, a Communications Officer, and Cláudio Mangue, Assistant Director of the Markets and Reserve Management Department, on the topics “Exchange Rate and the Foreign Exchange Market: What Is It and How Does It Work?” and “Mozambique Sovereign Wealth Fund: Governance Process and Its Operationalization”, respectively. The presentations were followed by a lively debate marked by strong interaction with participants.