MOZAMBICAN President Joaquim Chissano confirmed on Wednesday that his government will introduce a Value Added Tax (VAT) on the scheduled date of April 1, despite pleas for a nine-month postponement from virtually the entire formal business sector. Chissano, speaking through his press spokesperson Antonio Matonse, told the independent newsheet Metical that the VAT is a ”practical” measure and will go ahead on the scheduled date. The private sector is not opposed to VAT in principle, but merely wants a change of the date from April 1 to January 1 2000.