The Mozambique International Port Services Company (MIPS) has already invested 12 million US dollars to rehabilitate and modernise the port of Maputo, a project that started in early 1996.
MIPS director Jorge Ferraz said in Maputo on Friday that the money was directed to the rehabilitation of the 300 square metres of quay, Container storage yard, warehousing, and equipment for the handling of various types of merchandises.
He made the statement during a visit by a Swazi delegation to the port, explaining that so far, 1.5 million US dollars were used for additional equipment and upgrades.
Such investment is aimed at providing the Maputo Terminal with equipment with international standard, since the hope in terms of the market is to increase the volumes of transit cargo moving through the port of Maputo from the neighbouring South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe.
Ferraz explained that this investment is running in parallel with the planned allocation of 70 million US dollars by the Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC), the new port concessionary, that is concentrating on the rehabilitation of such infrastructures as warehousing and rail upgrades, and acquisition of new equipments.
He justified the hope for an expanded market with the resumption of traffic from those countries, that had been diverted during the war of destabilisation, that ended in 1992, with the signing of the General Peace Accord.
He noted that the Maputo port is close to the regional production centres, which makes exports easier and cheaper.
This port has been handling about 300,000 tones of merchandise every year.
The Maputo port will handle about 500 containers per month of sugar from the South African province of Mpumalanga, bording with the southern Mozambican province of Maputo.
Fonte: AIM
