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Dear MCLI Readers,
It is my privilege to share with you
some of our recent very positive engagements in South Africa; Mozambique and
the Kingdom of Swaziland, in our drive to promote the strategic benefits of our
corridor and to communicate the negative impact which the limited commercial
cargo clearing hours at the border, as well as the delay in financial closure
of the RGR rail concession has on us as a region.
1. 14 – 16 September, 2004 –
MCLI part of SAMOZACC Delegation to visit
Members of the Executive Committee, (of which MCLI is
one) of the recently launched South Africa Mozambique Chamber of Commerce
(SAMOZACC) undertook a trip to Mozambique along the Maputo Development Corridor
to strengthen linkages with both the public and private sector in support of a
MISSION to create conditions that are conducive to engage with the Mozambique
government to assist, promote and protect the interest of business.
En route the group stopped over and had a very
fruitful meeting of introduction and cooperation with the Lowveld Chamber
of Commerce and Tourism (LCBT) (see picture) where it was agreed to work
together towards a
Various meetings, such as with the South African
High Commissioner; the Mozambique Minister of Tourism and the Secretary
General from the Ministry of Economic Development and Planning were
concluded with the understanding of support and approval of the establishment
of the Chamber. Access to information and business opportunities, to support
chamber members were high on the agenda. It was explained to all that
MCLI, with its focus on freight logistics stands in partnership and support
of CCIMOZA; and SAMOZACC.
A visit to the port of Maputo, arranged by
MCLI was part of the program to introduce the committee to the port and
its great potential for South African Exporters; Importers as well as
potential investors and the negative impact which the current constraints
to cargo flows to the port, as a result of the limited commercial cargo
clearing hours and insufficient rail capacity has on the economies of both
countries.
2. 23 September, 2005 –
At this event, which were very well attended by both
the private and public sector, we had the opportunity to engage with the Hon.
MEC William Lubisi as well as the newly appointed Head of Department for the
department of economic development and planning, Me. Simangele Sekgobela,
who both confirmed their understanding of the importance of effective freight
logistics in an environment of public private partnership of cooperation, to
support further development and growth in the province as well as their support
for the role which MCLI plays in this process.
This inter-action led to a MCLI meeting with the
senior managers of the departments of Transport and Economic Development and
Planning to ensure our mutual agreement of the process ahead to establish our
partnership of cooperation, in view of the roll out of the Corridor Management
Structure for the region, as was eluded to by Riad Khan
Riad Khan, the head of the National Freight Strategy
in the SA department of Transport shared fresh from the cabinet, the National
Freight Logistics Strategy here in
3. 29 September,
2005 – MCLI meets the new DG of DTI, Tshediso Matona, by invitation of the
South African High Commissioner in
This very positive meeting, where MCLI was represented
by me, Antonio Matos, the MCLI co-chairman from Mozambique as well as
We believe the DG’s party had a much clearer
impression of the criticalness of the high level constraints on the Maputo
Corridor and the impact there off on international trade, since he requested a
report, which was duly submitted, in order to take the matter up with the
relevant ministries. We look forward to receive feedback in this regard.
MCLI greatly appreciates the role played by the South
African High Commissioner and her team to work with MCLI to ensure we achieve
our strategic objectives, namely to combine the vies of all stakeholders in
order to engage with the relevant government departments to ensure this
corridor does become the first choice for the region’s importers and exporters.
4. 30 September, 2005 –
MCLI met with the Hon. Minister Antonio Munguambe, form ministry of Transport
and Communication of Mozambique.
During FACIM, the Honorable Minister stopped at the
MCLI stand and requested that I arrange to meet with him in the near future, so
great was our appreciation when this meeting was granted to me on very
short notice, where the minister also included CFM, legal advisor Osorio Lucas,
who stood in for Mr. Rui Fonseco, who could not attend, and Corridor Director
in Ministry of Transport and Communication, Francisca Soares, to present MCLI
and the freight logistics matters of the Maputo Development Corridor.
The Hon. Minister indicated a clear understanding with
regards the present rail and border post constraints and a political will to
ensure these are addressed to ensure both the rail and border supports required
trade flows. He further more expressed his ministry’s support and
cooperation to MCLI in the process ahead to implement the SA National Freight
Logistics Strategy with its high focus on corridor development, through focus
on localized and specific implementation initiatives that target tactical
responses to the challenges which face our corridor and the nodes along our
corridor.
5. 6 October, 2005 –
Presentation at the of MOZAMBIQUE AGRIBUSINESS CONFERENCE in Polokwane-Limpopo
This event, which was very well attended by high level
decision makers from Mozambique as well as the Province of Limpopo was an ideal
opportunity once again for MCLI to promote the strategic objectives of MCLI and
our corridor infrastructure with a presentation under the Title “The use of the
Maputo Port as the preferred export/import route”, since we strongly believe
that cost effective, efficient freight logistics create an enabling environment
for investment and further development of this region. Here MCLI
could also share the details of the US$ 44 million invested by the port to
date, its ample available capacity as well as the 55.000 TEU capacity at the
container terminal and intended new capacity that will be created in the Fresh
Produce Terminal, which will in time grow to 260,000 tons per annum, including
a 5000 slot terminal for the steri-market.
6. 7 October, 2005 – Met
with the Head of Department of the Mpumalanga Department of Roads and
Transport, Ms Thembilihe Msibi.
At this very positive and fruitful meeting of
cooperation I was introduced to the newly appointed Senior Manager for
Logistics and Corridor Development, Mr. Aaron Makgalemane. MCLI
would like to congratulate the Mpumalanga Government and specifically the MEC
for Roads and Transport, the Hon. MEC Fish Mahlalela and the HOD, for the
insight to establish and staff this new sub-directorate in the importance of
freight logistics and corridor development, in our province. This
meeting confirmed the strong spirit of cooperation between MCLI as the private
sector freight logistics stakeholder representative and the Department of Roads
and Transport, who will also be the lead Department in the soon to be
established Mpumalanga Corridor Initiative, to which MCLI will act as
secretariat. The roll out of the National Freight Data Bank in Mpumalanga
was also discussed and I hope to soon give a report of progress in this regard
to our readers.
7. 10 October, 2005 –
Presented the Maputo Development Corridor to the high ranking officers of the
SA Military College in Maputo.
By invitation of the SA Defense Advisor at the SAHC in
Mozambique, Col. Bonganie Xaba, I was honored to present our corridor, with its
background, opportunities and challenges to this esteemed group, which included
participation from other SADC countries and which was also joined by their
Mozambique counterparts. This gave me the opportunity to create an
awareness with these high ranking officers of the importance of trade
facilitation priorities at our border posts, to ensure that the various
departments with different functions to perform, work together to ensure
freight moves under “non-constrained” conditions, without jeopardizing the
safety and security of the country.
8. 11 October, 2005
– Meeting with a special cabinet committee of the Kingdom of Swaziland.
Dr Phosa, our South African co-chairman and myself had
the honor to be met by the Hon, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Minister
Mabili Dlamini, the Hon. Minister of Economic Development and Planning,
Minister Absalom Dlamini and the Hon. Minister of Public Works and Transport,
Minister Elijah Shongwe.
MCLI greatly appreciated the opportunity to brief the
Swaziland Government on the strategic objectives and activities of MCLI as well
as the recent developments around the issue of addressing freight logistics
constraints on the Maputo Development Corridor in our drive to ensure it
becomes the first choice for the region’s importers and exporters.
The mutual positive commitment towards a new era of
cooperation on transport corridors between Mozambique; Swaziland and
Mpumalanga, heralded this meeting to be a sounding success.
The spirit of cooperation, political will and
commitment to work with MCLI in the arena of freight logistics, to ensure
transport corridors of the region do create an enabling environment for further
development and growth in the region are very much appreciated.
MCLI look forward, with great expectation, to regular
deliberations and cooperation between the Government of the Kingdom of
Swaziland and the Corridor Business Community of the region, on the matter of
freight logistics to ensure we optimize the regional infrastructures in order
to reduce the cost of doing business in our region.
9. Ongoing
engagement with the National Freight Logistics Directorate of SA Department of
Transport.
MCLI greatly appreciates the spirit of cooperation and
working together now, in the past and in the future to ensure the effective
roll out of the National Freight Logistics Strategy, with its high focus on
corridor implementation and planning, in our region
The MCLI strategic objective remains
to market the corridor and to combine the views of the
Thank you to each and every stakeholder who works with MCLI to ensure
the
Best
Regards
Brenda
Horne
CEO
Incorporated
under sect 21- 2004/007466/08
Tel:
+27 (0)13 755 6025 Cell: +27 (0)82 802 2338 SA
Fax:
+27 (0)13 752 5453 Cell: +258 (0)84 397 4180
Working
together to make the
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