Basic Law No. 23/2009 on Cooperatives. Country/Territory Mozambique Document type Legislation Date 2009 Source FAO, FAOLEX Original source Boletim da República, I Serie, Supplement, No. 38. Subject General Keyword Cooperative/producer organization Legal proceedings/administrative proceedings Basic legislation Geographical area Africa, Eastern Africa, Indian Ocean, Least Developed Countries Entry into force notes This Law enters into force on 26 March 2010. Abstract This Law, consisting of 100 articles divided into eleven Chapters, establishes the Basic Law on Cooperatives. It applies to all types of cooperatives, regardless of their object or degree, and to similar organizations whose special legislation expressly refers to it. Cooperatives are autonomous legal entities, of free constitution, with variable capital and composition and democratic control, in which their members undertake to contribute with goods and services for the exercise of an economic activity, of common benefit, through actions mutual funds and through risk sharing, with a view to satisfying their economic needs and aspirations and an equity return predominantly realized in proportion to their operations. Cooperatives can be of first or second and higher degree. First degree cooperatives are those that are constituted by natural persons and/or legal persons, whose objective is based on the direct provision of services to their members. Cooperatives of second degree, consisting of unions, federations and confederations of cooperatives, aim at the coordination, guidance and organization, on a larger scale, of the services of interest to their affiliates. Cooperatives can set up with a multi-branch object and carry out activities in several branches, provided that the respective statutes indicate which one is the main one. Full text Portuguese Website www.legis-palop.org References - Legislation Repeals Government Regulation No. 64/71 approving the Regulation of the Agricultural Cooperatives. Legislation | Mozambique | 1971 Keyword: Cooperative/producer organization Source: FAO, FAOLEX Decree No. 7/89 approving the Model for the Statute of the agricultural cooperative. Legislation | Mozambique | 1989 Keyword: Cooperative/producer organization, Agricultural development Source: FAO, FAOLEX Decree No. 8/89 approving the Model for the Statute of Agricultural Cooperative Unions. Legislation | Mozambique | 1989 Keyword: Cooperative/producer organization, Agricultural development Source: FAO, FAOLEX