Additional citrus moves through Maputo
LEONARD NEILL
THE ABILITY to adapt and deliver rapidly in changing times remains the road to success.
That’s the view of Luis Goncalves, general manager of Naval in Mozambique. His company, which offers cargo handling services in the ports of Maputo and Beira, has demonstrated this to its advantage in the past year.
“We are performing better than Richards Bay when it comes to loading ferro vessels,” he says. “We recently loaded more than 7 300 tons in a 24-hour period and completed the full shipment of 15 155 tons of ferros out of Maputo in just over 49 hours.”
Naval’s services include stevedoring, cargo tallying, caulking rail trucks, on-board vessel security and lashing and securing of cargo, as well as labour brokering. Goncalves refers to it as a Ôone stop port service’.
“Naval has benefited from new business in the past year through the efficient handling of sized coal at the Matola Coal Terminal. Productivity in excess of 7 000 tons of coal in a 24-hour period was achieved.
“We have seen an improvement in volumes committed to Maputo, having just commenced the 2004 citrus season shipments. Naval is a subcontractor to the Maputo Port Citrus Terminal and has, in addition, this year secured the handling of the citrus stored at an outside store (Matola Cargo Terminal).”
All of which has prompted an investment of US$750 000 in port handling equipment, including wheel loaders, backactors and excavators.
“It is a continuous development plan to which we are committed” says Goncalves.
The company is owned by the Bidvest Group, and through the Bidfreight Division Naval is able to draw on the group’s expertise from across the border, he says.
