Government wants coastal shipping operational in the 1st half of 2017

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Government wants coastal shipping operational in the 1st half of 2017

1:51 CAT | 02 Feb 2017

Noticias (File photo) / Maputo port

The Mozambican government says it will continue working on creating conditions for the start of maritime cabotage this semester, with a view to reducing competitiveness asymmetries and bringing benefits in terms of the price of goods to the public.

The guarantee was given yesterday by the Minister of Transport and Communications, Carlos Mesquita, at a press conference on sector activities in 2016 held in Maputo.

“The terms are still being set. We will have, within 10 days, meetings with three companies that have already submitted proposals, and are discussing the development of maritime cabotage with Transmarítima,” the minister announced.

Cabotage is the navigation between seaports of the same country, without losing sight of the coast, as opposed to long-haul navigation between ports of different nations.

“The initiation of cabotage will also spur the rehabilitation of some secondary and tertiary ports, a factor which will have direct implications for local development in terms of agricultural production and value add, for example, from the perspective of packaging and palletization. This creates added value for the sites themselves, as well as shipment,” he added.

Ports

Mesquita presented an overview of the port sector in general, saying that it continues to register flow of goods from the country and the region. He noted that some corridors had however registered a reduction in cargo volume as a result of the macroeconomic situation, with the reduction of commodity prices on the global market as an example.

“But we are clear on concrete steps that we have to take and that is why we will continue with investment programs in the ports,” he said.

Mesquita mentioned as examples the dredging of the access channel to Maputo Port, which will also coincide with the rehabilitation of piers and investment in additional cargo-handling equipment.

The same is the case in Beira and Nacala. Phases One and Three of the Nacala Port rehabilitation project was proceeding, including the acquisition of modern equipment and infrastructure rehabilitation, he added.

The sector balance of activities meeting is open to managers of institutes, state-owned sector companies and senior ministry staff. The objective is to review accomplishments during the year in question, as well as outlining the work programs included in the Quinquennial Program of the Government 2015/19 and the Economic and Social Plan (PES) of this year.

Source: AIM Moçambique