R400-m injection intended to restore Maputo's credibility

Plans to handle 85 000 ton ships MAPUTO PORT capacity will be improved to handle ships up to 85 000 tons in the restoration programme now underway by the Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC), says its chief executive Tim Hansford. The firm aims to be in full operation within the next few months and will invest R400 million during the next three years to rehabilitate and renew the portÕs infrastructure. "Our objective is simple," says Hansford. "It is to restore to the international shipping world the credibility of Maputo as the natural and most efficient transit port for the southern African region. The port now handles small and rusted ships weighing less than 45 000 tons. Bigger and newer ships donÕt come here for fear of safety." MPDC plans to develop Maputo to compete with Durban for traffic. Its activities will see around 4500 existing harbour employees losing their jobs as a result of the 15-year concession granted to them. But they have announced that the World Bank has made US $100 million available for severance packages and redeployment of retrenched workers.