Big projects likely to slow down in Moz

KEVIN MAYHEW FROM ITS new offices at the Nkomazi Border Plaza, Pierral International continues to specialise in the movement of agricultural goods for animal feeds between South Africa and Mozambique. But agricultural goods are not the only products in the portfolio of this 10 year old company. Manager Janice Meissenheimer forecasts a waning of big projects in Mozambique, such as the rehabilitation of rail and pipelines, forcing the industry to gear itself to handling more traditional commodities. And there are some lessons to be learnt from the haphazard transportation of the heavy machinery required for such projects. “Companies have spread the load to a number freight and forwarders during the course of these projects, but at this time of repatriation – either permanently or temporarily for repairs – the problems occur with trying to match up the paperwork. There has been a strong case made for the industry and contractors to develop a close working relationship that extends throughout the life of the project to facilitate the repatriation of heavy machinery permanently or temporarily,” she said.