The Port of Maputo handled a volume of over 18 million tons of cargo last year, compared to 21 million tons in 2019, a drop of 14.3%, which is due in part to the impact of Covid-19, as well as restrictive measures to curb the spread of the pandemic in Mozambique and countries in the southern region of Africa.

According to the newspaper "Notícias", the information was made public Thursday (22), in Maputo, by the Minister of Transport and Communications, Janfar Abdulai, at the Forum for Promoting Transport Developments in Mozambique, a virtual event that brought together more than 300 participants from 20 countries, including port infrastructure managers, providers of transport services, storage and clearance of goods, and logistical users of the Development Corridors.

 "In the Maputo Corridor, we are pleased with the record growth in port handling that we have been registering. Last year, despite the context of restrictions due to Covid-19, the Port of Maputo managed to handle more than 18 million tons," he said.

According to the minister, the results of the Port of Maputo reflect the massive investments that the government has been making in the Maputo, Beira and Nacala Corridors, specifically in the component of dredging, expansion of port handling capacity, and the flow of rail freight, through the construction of new infrastructure.

"We bet on the rehabilitation and modernization of the ports, as well as the acquisition of cranes, carriages, wagons, and locomotives, and this attests to this commitment of Mozambique in fulfilling its role in the logistics of the region," he said.

In the rail component, the governor highlighted the work done in the design and construction of the Ressano Garcia Customs Terminal, which should be operational soon, with a major impact on the growth of rail cargo transported and handled at the Port of Maputo, reducing the flow of trucks that cause congestion along the National Road Number 4 (EN4).

 Abdulai used the occasion to invite the private sector to join the government's efforts to develop transport infrastructure through foreign direct investment by exploiting the country's established mechanisms.

During the two-day meeting, participants will seek to identify investment opportunities in the area of transport infrastructure in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.