Maputo, 29 Jul (AIM) – Construction work on the One-Stop Border Post at Machipanda, along the National Road Number Six (EN6), in the central Mozambican province of Manica, is budgeted at 37.2 million US dollars and set to begin next October.
According to Izidine Opressa, the Provincial Director of Transport and Logistics for Manica, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the financial resources required to implement the project have already been secured.
“The project will also include the construction of three new bridges over the Machipanda River and a residential area for staff. It will cover a total area of 55,500 square meters”, he said.
Opressa explained that the project, which is scheduled for completion within 30 months, aims to modernize one of the country’s key logistics corridors.
“It seeks to reduce border waiting times and expedite document processing and customs clearance for goods entering and leaving Mozambique via Machipanda. This border crossing is a vital link between Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Every day, more than two thousand trucks pass through this post, traveling to or from landlocked countries in the region”, he said.
“It is crucial for landlocked countries, especially for Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They carry a variety of goods, much of which is destined for or originates from the Port of Beira, in Sofala province”, he added.
However, slow customs procedures have caused long queues of heavy vehicles, sometimes stretching between ten and fifteen kilometers. In many instances, drivers wait two or three days to cross the border, facing poor conditions that lack adequate access to food, potable water, and basic sanitation facilities.
The situation is exacerbated by acts of vandalism and theft targeting trucks waiting in line, particularly at night. It causes financial losses for haulers and compromises safety along the corridor.
According to Opressa, the new facility will feature a 35,000-square-meter multimodal cargo terminal equipped for unified inspections, warehouses, and a dedicated bulk cargo handling area.
The project also includes a 18,500-square-meter area for tourist traffic, designed to handle approximately 3,000 passengers per day.
He added that the project will be developed through a public-private partnership with a 30-year operating term, after which management of the facility will revert to the State.
During the concession period, a portion of the generated revenue will be allocated to the State. The Road Fund will contribute 15 percent of the total investment, while the Manica Provincial Government will provide another 10 percent of the funding.
Am/
