Fresh foreign aid farce as £13m of taxpayers’ cash helps Mozambique sell gas while Brit families face soaring bills

MORE than £13million in UK taxpayer cash is helping Mozambique profit from flogging ­natural gas. It comes despite new drilling being banned in the North Sea, stopping Britain from getting similar returns. More than £13million in UK taxpayer cash is helping Mozambique profit from flogging ­natural gas Credit: Alamy Reform’s Robert Jenrick said: ‘This is nuts. Reform will slash foreign aid and get drilling again in the North Sea’ Credit: EPA The Foreign Office has funnelled money to the East African state to help it better collect revenues and manage finances. The project was set up in 2018 to ensure Mozambique state can “reap the imminent benefits of gas revenues”. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The UK gets no return on its investment. The £13.2million Tax and Economic Governance Programme runs until at least the end of 2026. It could instead fund annual energy bills of nearly 9,000 struggling British families or restore £300 Winter Fuel Payments for 44,000 pensioners. Mozambique is soon set to rake in around £4.6billion a year from selling gas and taxes on firms operating in its territory. Critics slammed the double standard and called for Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband to scrap the deal. Reform’s Robert Jenrick said: “This is nuts. Reform will slash foreign aid and get drilling again in the North Sea.” Most read in The Sun The Foreign Office said: “The Tax and Economic Governance programme helps prevent money-laundering and strengthens Mozambique’s ability to identify and remove funding that could be directed to terrorist groups, protecting the UK both at home and abroad.” Comment now