Africa-Press – Mozambique. The government expects to double the cargo handled by national ports from 41 to 81 million tons over the next four years, according to Minister of Transport and Communications, Janfar Abdulai.
The 39th Coordinating Council met between the 29th of September and the 1st of October in Bilene, Gaza province, to assess activities in the sector.
Speaking at the closing session, Minister Abdulai reaffirmed the government’s commitment to increasing the amount of cargo handled in national ports.
“Prospects point to an increase in cargo handling from about 41 million tons handled in Mozambican ports in 2020 to about 84 million tons projected by the end of this five-year period,” Janfar Abdulai revealed.
In addition to the port component, the Minister of Transport and Communications announced the resumption of international operations in Mozambican airspace following on the slowdown in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country.
“Out of a total of eight operators exploring the international market, five have already returned to the Mozambican market, with prospects of Air France starting regular flights to Mozambique in December of this year,” Abulai said.
Domestically, Abdulai sanctioned the resumption of long-haul rail passenger transport, suspended in the context of Covid-19 prevention measures.
“We urge Portos e Caminhos-de-Ferro (CFM) to meet this need that concerns our population, especially on the Limpopo and Sena railway lines, as well as on the Cuamba Lichinga branch,” the Minister of Transport and Communications said.
The meeting also served to set new goals and reaffirm the fulfilment of others.
“With the recovery of the economy and ongoing activities, better results are expected in the sector, for the fulfilment of PES 2021, as well as for the year 2022, with the conclusion of strategic projects,” the Minister of Transport said, going on to enumerate some of them.
“Acquisition of 80 gas-powered buses for urban public transport, rehabilitation of the Machipanda railway and the Sena-Vila Nova da Fronteira branch, acquisition of locomotives, wagons, carriages and railcars for the reinforcement of passenger and cargo rail transport, rehabilitation, expansion and modernisation of the Port of Nacala, revitalisation of maritime cabotage, completion of the construction of the airport in Chongoene, continued expansion and improvement of telecommunications services, among others,” he detailed.
The Coordinating Council of the Ministry of Transport and Communications took place under the motto “Stimulating Transport, Communications and Meteorology in the Digital Age”.
By
Dario Cossa
