Mozambique's BAU pushes digitalization to ease small business formalization

Daniel Bay, director-general of Mozambique's Balcão de Atendimento Único (BAU), is advocating for accelerated digitalization and administrative simplification to assist small business formalization. Speaking at the Maputo International Trade Fair (FACIM 2026), Bay emphasized the need to reduce bureaucratic burdens on entrepreneurs by allowing them to handle all documentation at a single service point.

The BAU currently operates 129 service points across Mozambique. Efforts to streamline processes include expanding licensing regimes through prior notification and simplified pathways. These improvements have already reduced processing times significantly, with some services dropping from 24 hours to two hours. Future goals include enhancing interoperability between public institutions to ensure fast and secure data sharing through digital platforms and electronic payments.