The Port of Beira is experiencing a slight decrease in cargo handling from traditional operator countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) and Botswana, due to the negative impact on the world economy and logistics as a result of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The fact was revealed recently in the city of Beira, Sofala province, by Jan Vries, managing director of Cornelder de Moçambique, the entity that manages that complex, during the inauguration of several state-of-the-art equipment valued at more than ten million US dollars.

Jan Vries said that the initial target for this year was for a handling of about 278,000 containers, but so far the figure is below half of the plan and with losses at around five percent.

"After the Covid-19 peak everything was pointing to a period of economic revival, but we now have this adversity and our hope is that better days will come," he said.

The source explained that the port complex intends to reach, in the near future, the handling of approximately 700 thousand containers per year betting on the automation of the state-of-the-art equipment.

Vries indicated that this is intended to make cargo movement more flexible by eliminating the current scenario of prolonged truck stoppages in the transportation of goods from that precinct to the "interland" countries.

"The investment in cranes and computer systems represents the bet of the moment and we intend to increase the capacity of the Port of Beira.

The cranes displayed at that container terminal are in the process of modernization and after the conclusion of this process they will handle about 450 thousand containers per year, representing an advance of that terminal, which, in this way, will increase its competitiveness in the scope of the Beira Development Corridor.

This happens simultaneously with the training of human resources that will ensure the automation of the control of trucks for access to the Port of Beira. (News)