Port and rail rapport build confidence in Maputo

Discussions between the port of Maputo, Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) and the Mozambican rail authority CFM on how to streamline operations between the three have given users and potential users of the port of Maputo a “confidence boost,” says Jorge Ferraz, managing director of Our Corridor Logistics (OCL). “The port is working very hard on its relations with the rail authorities. As a result there is a completely different mood among shippers,” he says. Better rail links will enable companies like OCL to offer a greater variety of solutions to shippers wanting to route through Maputo. “We are always looking for different solutions in order to simplify and speed up the movement of cargo,” he says. It was for this reason that OCL opened an office at KM4 to more effectively process the clearance of road-hauled cargo between Mozambique and South Africa, be it imports, exports or transit. Current infrastructure development and the elimination of unnecessary red tape at K4 will ensure that shippers will start seeing the benefits of the improvements and reroute their cargoes through the Maputo Corridor, he believes. “We are currently processing all customs clearance for imports and transit cargo at K4, with the release of trucks averaging three to four hours for imports and 20 minutes for road-hauled transit cargo,” he says. OCL is currently handling around 350 trucks daily through K4. A joint venture agreement with a South African clearing and logistics company enables OCL to offer the full range of services on both the South African and Mozambican sides of the border. It has also opened an office in the northern port of Nacala in order to meet the growing demand for its services at the rapidly developing port. INSERT & CAPTION The port is working very hard on its relations with the rail authorities. – Jorge Ferraz