Maputo forums look into problems and opportunities

Ensuring corridor is optimised to the full CONSTRAINTS AND opportunities for the Maputo corridor came under the spotlight at two forums organised recently by the Maputo Corridor co-ordination initiative. An August event representing lines and agents was followed by a manufacturers’ forum in Nelspruit earlier this month. “The objective of the forums was to present a business case to key role players and both governments, to ensure this corridor is optimised to its full potential,” said co-ordinator Brenda Horne, logistics manager of Nelspruit-based MMC. “They were not designed for competitors to negotiate or fix rates or agreements, or commit any anti-trust activities - nor to place the Port of Maputo in direct competition to the SA ports for market share.” Jorge Ferraz, CEO of Mozambique International Port Services (MIPS) - which has now been awarded a further 10-year concession to manage the container terminal until 2013 - described Maputo as “the alternative gateway to Southern Africa”. The short- to medium-term investment planned is expected to be in the region of US$5-million, Ferraz added. “With the current interest being shown in Maputo by SA shippers we really hope to see a substantial growth in transit export volumes,” he said. “This particularly once the planned investment in the marine (Maputo Port Development Company) and rail (NLPI/Spoornet) infrastructure upgrades take place - coupled with the present congestion problems being experienced in SA ports.”