Ope Legis: An Ideal Partner to Invest and Operate in Mozambique
Pedro Macaringue gives an overview of the legal system in Mozambique and presents Ope Legis, a law firm specialized in corporate law and commercial law. The firm takes care of all the documentation required to invest and operate in Mozambique, assisting the clients and helping them to launch their businesses and settle their headquarters.
Interview with Pedro Macaringue, Senior Partner at Ope Legis
What is your overview of the legal system in Mozambique? How easy is it for foreign investment companies to adapt in Mozambique?
It is important to understand that the legal system in Mozambique is similar to that of Roman Germany. We use a code system, everything we do is by the book, and by doing this it is much easier for investors to understand Mozambican investing requirements. Most of our laws are by now translated to English, French and Chinese, so a foreigner can understand the requirements, terms and conditions for investing in the country.
Ope Legis is a law firm focused on corporate business. We take care of all the documentation required to invest and operate in Mozambique, assisting the clients and helping them to launch their businesses and settle their headquarters. In the last 5 years, the law system has improved a lot. What used to take 3 months, nowadays only takes 5 days to be done. We can get licenses and work permits quite fast.
What are the main problems that foreign investors face upon arrival?
The first problem is the language. Most lawyers in the country are not prepared to discuss matters in foreign languages. The second problem are the taxes. There are many government and private institution taxes to be paid before investing. And lastly, after all documentations is taken care of, there’s the problem of finding qualified personnel. Luckily, Mozambique has been improving the offer of universities and technical schools, making our work easier. In conclusion, we assist the client, not only in legal terms, but also in organizational terms, finding workers for specific areas, such as gas, minerals, oil, energy, transportation, etc.
What are the legal fields in which Ope Legis operates?
The main business of Ope Legis is corporate law and commercial law, this means we take care of contracts, licenses, work permits, implementation of businesses, among others. We look after the full process, from handling documents to meeting with local and private authorities or even the government, in order to facilitate operations for our clients.
One of my goals is to become one of the top 5 law companies of the country, and I believe that in 5 years we can reach this goal. The market and opportunities exist, so, if we keep our clients satisfied, they will broadcast our quality to other potential clients.
Would you like to build partnerships with investors or other law firms abroad, in order to expand internationally?
Mozambique is a country in constant development and because of that there are many business opportunities here. For that reason, I believe there is still many things to be done inside the country before looking abroad. Having said that, we do cooperate with international law companies concerning international contracts. Our young lawyers are learning how to deal with international investments from those cooperating partners from Brazil, Portugal, South Africa, etc. In conclusion, at this stage, we prefer to import knowledge and improve our services and law firm, than to export our services.
Where do you see the company in the next 2 to 3 years?
My colleagues from Ope Legis like to say that I am a dreamer, because one of my goals is to become one of the top 5 law companies of the country, and I believe that in 5 years we can reach this goal. The market and opportunities exist, so, if we keep our clients satisfied, they will broadcast our quality to other potential clients.