Port focus on bulk has implications

Giving priority to bulk exports may side-line general and container traffic and is a “somewhat limiting” approach which could inhibit economic growth in southern Mozambique and the Maputo Corridor, says Barbara Mommen, chief executive officer at the Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative (MCLI). She was responding to comments from a number of shipping companies and agents interviewed in the port of Maputo by FTW. They point out that container volumes have nearly halved since 2010, while bulk exports are growing exponentially. This, she believes, may have an impact on broader economic development along the Maputo Corridor. “We have marketed the corridor on the strength of the multipurpose nature of the port of Maputo, and this remains its strength in its servicing of the corridor hinterland,” says Mommen She is critical of what she calls “a race of resources through African ports”. “The African Union is promoting beneficiation and manufacturing very strongly. We should be encouraging the likes of India and China to invest in value-adding activities in Swaziland and southern Mozambique or along the corridor, rather than exporting raw materials. “That is the only way we will create sustainable jobs and promote sustainable economic growth,” she says. CAPTION Port of Maputo