Mozambique’s parliament debates drone legislation today

This Thursday, the Mozambique Parliament is discussing a proposed law on aerial photography and cinematography for civilian purposes, which the government considers necessary to end the “jungle” in the use of drones and guarantee national security.

According to the agenda published by the Assembly of the Republic, the legislature will also consider this Thursday a proposed law establishing a legal regime applicable to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

Mozambique’s Defense Minister Cristovan Chume told a parliamentary hearing on March 6 that the country needs to regulate the use of drones because the devices are operated in the “jungle,” citing a lack of legislation on the matter. .

“We are in a wild field where everything that concerns us happens without regulation,” Cristovan Chume said during a hearing with deputies of the Defense, Security and Public Order Committee of the Assembly of the Republic on the proposed Law on Survey and Aerial Cinematography for Civil Purposes.

Chum said the lack of a specific standard on this issue allows for uncontrolled drone overflights of military areas, barracks, and surveying of geological, topographical information, fauna and other types of resources.

“With this proposed law, we will have the opportunity to say how we want things to happen and who should do it,” he said.

The Minister of National Defense assured that the future diploma will respect the fundamental rights of citizens, including freedom of the press, except for restrictions imposed by situations such as a state of emergency.

Cristovau Chume said the law would regulate the use of drones, setting appropriate restrictions on the use of this type of device and other aircraft to collect information.

Places such as facilities of the Defense and Security Forces, the President of the Republic, the Assembly of the Republic, airports and public events without overflight permission will be legally protected from the use of the above-mentioned devices, the official added.

Cristovan Chume emphasized that the future standard will allow investments to be made in such a way that information collected by aircraft for economic purposes is processed within the country, and not outside its borders, as is the case now.

“Investment in national institutions is necessary so that we can gradually reduce the possibility of turning to foreign companies in the field of cartography, because sometimes confidential information related to gas and oil research, “Because the information is complex, it has to be taken outside the country,” Chume emphasized .

This data, analyzed abroad, may not return to the country, he continued.

The Minister of National Defense said that the authorization process for the use of unmanned aerial vehicles should involve this agency, the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) and the State Information and Security Service (SISE).