Unlocking Mozambique's logistics potential

DSV recently hosted its third logistics workshop in Mozambique, with the focus on overcoming bottlenecks in Mozambique's transport and logistics network.

Organised with Standard Bank Mozambique, DSV Mozambique Managing Director, Philipp Büchler said the workshop was attended by more than 100 of the country's key role-players in the important transport and logistics sector.

According to the World Bank, Mozambique's medium-term economic outlook is positive, with growth expected to accelerate to 6% over 2023-2025, driven by continued recovery in services, increased liquefied natural gas production (LNG), and high commodity prices.  However, downside risks linked to climate shocks, security risks, and food and fuel price pressures could lower medium-term gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 4.5%.

Philipp said the company had benefited from the country's growth in renewable energy and oil and gas.

"The workshop brought together role-players to help resolve challenges around logistics challenges and bottlenecks, customs, exemptions processes, pricing and explore opportunities.  To this end, we requested the presence of those institutions which play a decisive role in the decisions importers and exporters take each day and were gratified at the response and attendance at the workshop", Büchler said.

DSV's head of Customs, Shabnam Essa, said compliance was critical and the foundation for much of DSV's work, she further said the company made a point of working with companies who had the same commitment and respected the legislation of the host country.

The high level speakers included:

• Castigo Magalhaes - Standard Bank spokes person on customs payment terms
• Mauro Pereira - Vice President of Chamber of Customs brokers of Mozambique (CDA) outlining challenges encountered in customs clearance processes
• Geraldo Albasini - INNOQ (an autonomous body operating under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, responsible for the promotion of standardization and quality in the manufacturing of products and the performance of services) presented a paper on conformity assessment program.  
• Avelar Silva - General Director of INTERTEK (which supports exporters to Mozambique with conformity assessments and certification for the Mozambique CAP) spoke about the implementation of the Conformity Assessment Programme in Mozambique.
• Fausio Mussa - Standard Bank assessed Mozambique's economy and outlook
• Elthon Chamane - ACLM (local content association) spoke on local content
• Fabio Vidulich - ESA (a civil engineering consultancy) presented on "Bottlenecks in Logistics-route Investigation"
• Pedro Ascencao - General Director Transcrane Logistics with a team led an open discussion on logistics bottlenecks and how to fix them.