New landlords take control in Maputo

Final agreement kick-starts US$70-m investment Leonard Neill THE PORT of Maputo will become the first harbour in Africa to operate under a public/private partnership on April 14 when the Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC) takes over legal and operational control in terms of a 15 year concession signed by the Mozambique government. The final agreement, passing control of the port to the new ‘landlords’, was signed last week by the government and the nation’s rail and harbour authorities. In terms of the agreement MPDC will be the entity responsible for providing all marine services within the Maputo port jurisdiction area, including pilotage, tugs, line handling and dredging services. On the landside the concession includes all of the designated port areas for international shipping within Maputo as well as the coal terminal of nearby Matola. Existing terminals will continue to operate under the terms of their leases. “The final date of operation represents the opening of a new chapter in the history of this country. “We expect this will lead to a period of high investment and development, not only in the port but in the wider economy,” said MPDC chief executive Alec Don. The MPDC’s US$70million investment will include the purchase of two modern-design tugs, each with a bollard pull of at least 35 tons, the construction of a new port entrance directly linked to the N4 highway, new cranes and material handling equipment, road and rail upgrades, berth repairs and dredging. Mersey Docks (UK), Skanska (Sweden) and Liscont (Portugal) jointly own 51% of the shares in MPDC, with the other 49% held by Mozambique rail and ports authority CFM and the government.