If Africa wants to increase intraregional
trade it will have to
invest in transport infrastructure.
According to Lars Greiner,
logistics manager for TWP
Projects, part of the Basil Read
Group, intra-regional trade is
crucial for development. “In Africa
it has declined significantly from
18% in 2000 to only about 12% at
present.”
A contributing factor, said
Greiner, was “the curse of the
container”.
“The decline of breakbulk lines
and the increase of container
vessels has made it very difficult to
find regular transport into countries
for breakbulk as it is all about
handling the container,” he said.
“So it is difficult to see growth.
With regional communities being
the trend it is important that they
look at building infrastructure to
allow for cargo to be moved across
the continent more freely. It will
also help to facilitate the projects
that are taking place.”
He said with many projects
located in remote and rural areas
the lack of transport was a major
obstacle.
“Without infrastructure it is
going to be very difficult to see
ongoing success in this arena.”
Marc Schweiger, managing
director of FH Bertling Projects,
agrees, saying the cost of finding
new routes for every project is
taking its toll.
“Often it involves creating a
road where there has not been one
before and it can be a costly affair.
Also the routes are not necessarily
the shortest, but the most logical
and safe way to get the cargo to the
final destination without damaging
it.”
Greiner and Schweiger say
that more co-operation between
cargo owners and their logistics
providers can go a long way.
“Shippers and project operators
speak different languages,” he said.
“While most shippers appreciate
the lie of the land, they are experts
in building and developing and not
in transport and logistics.”
He said too often each project
was reinventing the wheel when
shared knowledge could drastically
decrease the cost of working in
Africa.
“Not only do we need more
transport infrastructure, but it
would go a long way if logistics
experts shared the lessons learnt
with each other.
CAPTION
Marc Schweiger ... more co-operation
can go a long way.
