There has been a noticeable increase in volumes through Beira since the completion of the upgrading of the road between the port and the Zimbabwean border at Machipanda, says Aleksandrs Kucerovs, general manager of Independent Beira Logistics Terminals and Services (IBLT&S).
“Road transit times have decreased significantly with the completion of the Machipanda road,” he told FTW. Volumes of all the cargo and commodities handled by IBLT&S are increasing, and the company is in the process of expanding onto neighbouring land. “At present we have 11 000 sqm of warehousing for local freight and 11 000 for transit cargo. We plan to add another 10 000 sqm to meet demand,” he says.
IBLT&S has added to its fleet of handling equipment with a new telescopic reach stacker and two more loaders for transferring the bulk commodities from stacks into containers. Imports have also grown, with the facility handling around 700 import containers a month. This has helped balance loads in and out of Beira, which in turn has reduced the costs of using the corridor.
Productivity has been increased by improvements in the port and the road upgrades.
“Freight is moving much faster. We now operate 24 hours a day seven days a week if necessary to make the vessel for exports and to clear imports,” he says. Mozambican customs have offices on site and will operate seven days a week if necessary.
Kucerovs is confident that volumes out of Zimbabwe will continue to grow, and will help the country to improve its foreign exchange reserves – which will enable it to import more. Both mineral and agricultural exports such as tobacco and cotton are expected to continue increasing through Beira, which is the traditional gateway for Zimbabwean trade with the rest of the world.
Road transit times have decreased significantly with the completion of the Machipanda road. – Aleksandrs Kucerovs
