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.”
