Good volumes on Mozambique route

Business in Mozambique continues to boom despite the recent political unrest. According to Sandra De Kock, director of Destrans, this is good news for cross-border operators who specialise in the route. “Especially in northern Mozambique there is a lot of activity and that has resulted in some good volumes,” she said. “The political unrest in Mozambique has, however, been worrisome and has to be monitored carefully.” She said with loads to and from Mozambique on the increase, faster border procedures would go a long way in speeding up truck turnaround times. “Standing time is almost always a contentious issue because the transporter has to bear the brunt in most cases. Trucks cannot generate any income when stuck at the border while at the same time customers are being let down as vehicles are delayed,” she said. “This means increased costs which could have been avoided.” For De Kock a 24-hour onestop border post between South Africa and Mozambique makes sense, but she says this is far from becoming a reality. “In the meantime one has to continue communicating and educating exporters as to what is required to ensure a smooth, timeous delivery.” Another area of concern that impacts business is the constant changing of legislation and processes without effectively communicating this to operators, she says. “Often we only find out about the changes once the vehicles arrive at the border. Clearing agents are left in the dark and then have to scramble around trying to find out what the delay is and how to rectify it.” Despite these and other challenges De Kock is positive in her outlook for Mozambique. INSERT & CAPTION Standing time is almost always a contentious issue because the transporter has to bear the brunt in most cases. – Sandra De Kock