Burdensome and often corrupt customs structures are robbing Africa of economic growth – particularly among small businesses, which are the major contributors to job creation. The impact is spelled out in a World Bank report “Prospects for Growth Poles in Mozambique”. Conducted in 2010, it found that “trade transaction costs are too high – that is, bringing goods in and out of the country is a real obstacle. “In general, the small traders suffer most from inefficient and burdensome customs procedures,” it says. Freight owners take their business elsewhere when costs are uncompetitive, as FTW found on a recent visit to Maputo, which has suffered a drop in volumes.
