President Daniel Chapo launched Centro Pronto last week with the promise of simplifying access to public services and bringing administration closer to citizens. It was presented as a modern solution to long queues and bureaucratic hurdles, offering faster delivery of documents such as ID cards, passports, and driver’s licences.

But today, the shine has worn off. Instead of easing burdens, the service has introduced steep new costs for those using it. The national ID card will now cost four times as much as before. Renewals of driver’s licences and passports have also become significantly more expensive, inflated by service charges and VAT. What was announced as a reform to make life easier is, in practice, making essential documents harder to afford.

It is important to note that there are no problems in the production or issuance of ID cards and passports. These documents continue to be delivered within expected timelines. The only exception is the driver’s licence card, which remains slow to be issued, often taking months before citizens can finally receive it.

Comment

The contradiction between promise and practice is stark. Centro Pronto was launched under the banner of modernisation and accessibility, yet its implementation risks excluding precisely those citizens it was meant to serve. Identification documents are not luxuries; they are gateways to rights, employment, and mobility. By pricing them beyond the reach of ordinary people, the initiative undermines equity and deepens inequality.

This shift also raises questions about the nature of modernisation in Mozambique. Is it truly about efficiency and citizen service, or is it a form of enriching some elites disguised as reform? The outsourcing of public services to private operators has introduced convenience fees that weigh heavily on the population.

Furthermore, the involvement of VFS Global adds another layer of concern. The company, which processes visa and identity applications for governments worldwide, has faced repeated criticism for dataprotection failures. Investigations have uncovered massive leaks of credentials, compromised devices, and even biometric data stored on unencrypted CDs or transmitted via unsecured email. Experts have described these practices as serious violations of European dataprotection law. Entrusting Mozambican citizens’ sensitive information to a firm with such a record raises sharp questions about privacy and security.

As such, it begs the question of what due diligence was carried out before Mozambique entrusted VFS Global with such a sensitive role. Was there a serious assessment of its track record on data protection, given the company’s history of massive credential leaks, compromised devices, and biometric data mishandled through unsecured storage and transmission? Or were these concerns brushed aside in the rush to modernize and showcase efficiency?

Even more troubling is the possibility of sabotaging the existing arrangement. At present, ID cards, passports, and driver’s licences are produced by the state in partnership with Muhlbauer High Tech International and, except for delays with the driver’s licence card, these documents are being delivered within expected timelines. Yet the handover of services to Centro Pronto raises suspicions that the government may deliberately weaken or obstruct the current system to drive citizens into the new, more expensive model.

Furthermore, if Centro Pronto takes over these services, will its operators use the same technology and standards? Or does this move signal that government is finding ways to sideline Muhlbauer High Tech International, despite its established role in manufacturing ID cards, passports, and driver’s licences? The risk is that citizens may end up paying more for services that were already functioning within expected timelines, raising suspicions of political manoeuvering and corporate favouritism.

Entrusting Mozambican citizens’ sensitive information to a firm with a controversial record, while potentially displacing an existing provider, begs the question of whether modernization is being used as a cover for restructuring the market in favour of new players.

For President Chapo, the optics are delicate. Instead of being remembered as the leader who brought services closer, he risks being seen as the one who made them unaffordable and opened the door to privatization of basic rights.

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