Mozambique: Electronic sealing of cargo trucks faces challenges in Beira

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Mozambique: Electronic sealing of cargo trucks faces challenges in Beira

9:08 CAT | 11 Jan 2021

Picture: O País

The electronic sealing of cargo trucks in transit from the Port of Beira to the hinterland is currently taking too much time, to the distress of the port’s operators. The company responsible for the process – MECTS – whose services cost from two to three thousand meticais per unit, has only 10 workers to put stamps on the 600 to 700 trucks which transit the port every day.

The electronic sealing of cargo was recently approved by the government, to combat smuggling and tax evasion. The process started in the Port of Beira last Monday, but on the second day, the stamps had already run out, and the customs authorities would not authorise trucks to leave, causing congestion inside and outside the port.

Lourenço Joaquim, a Mozambican truck driver, described the situation inside the Porto da Beira as chaotic and complicated.

“We have been here since Tuesday and the indication we have is that no truck leaves without a seal,” he explained. “That’s all right. We are not against it. Let them seal our cargo [but there is no material for this purpose]. This really is no good: we are stuck here without supplies and staying overnight inside our trucks. Please, let the government find a solution to this matter.”

Another trucker, Zimbabwean Dicksson Tchirere, criticised the attitude of the Tax Authority, which in his opinion did not organise the change in process properly.

“I’ve been here for three days. The only information I have is that the Mozambican authorities want to place stamps on our cargo. The strange thing is that these stamps do not exist and, unfortunately, they will not allow us to continue our journey [without them]. We are accumulating huge losses every day,” Tchirere said, further lamenting the lack of toilets and food in the area.

The situation is harming port users, both national and foreign, and the state itself. Felix Machado, vice-president of the Association of Freight Forwarders in Mozambique, says each day waiting for a stamp in Porto da Beira costs on average US$350 per truck.

“The system has advantages, if implemented correctly. The important thing is to interact. The company that is managing the sealing process and the Customs authorities should interact with the entities related to cargo handling in the Port of Beira, and try to understand how the Beira corridor works,” he said.

“The second aspect is a gradual implementation of electronic sealing. We [should] go through phases until we have the capacity to accommodate all loads. And no less important is to make the list of cargos which are exempt from sealing and, finally, to reduce the price, which ranges from 2,500 to 3,500 meticais. That amount does not match the [commercial] realities of the Beira corridor,” Machado explained.

The company responsible for issuing the stamps refused to comment on the matter. Cornelder de Moçambique, which manages the Port of Beira, has said that it was informed about the introduction of electronic stamps, and has never been against it.

“We did say it would be necessary to approach the introduction of this process cautiously, in order to identify possible constraints,” said Anselmo Guila, Director of Operations at Cornelder de Moçambique. “Unfortunately, the articulation was not at the level of what we wanted, and the introduction of the stamps earlier this week took us by surprise”.

Customs authorities in Sofala say they will comment on the matter in due course.

By Francisco Raiva

Source: O País