Mozambique: CTA Calls for Major Shift in Freight Transport Model
Maputo — Mozambique’s Confederation of Business Associations (CTA) calls for major shift in the country’s freight transport model, viewing coastal shipping as an alternative to reduce high logistics costs, bring regions closer together economically, and improve the efficiency of goods movement across the country.
According António Souza, Chair of the CTA’s Infrastructure Portfolio, establishing regular maritime links between different points across the country could also strengthen national economic integration by facilitating the flow of goods between the north, center, and south regions.
“Focusing on coastal shipping is an opportunity to transform the sea into a strategic component of national logistics, reducing the exclusive reliance on roads for transporting goods. Coastal shipping is a viable alternative, a set of priority measures”, he said, during the seminar entitled “From Asphalt to Sea: Coastal Shipping, Competitiveness, and National Logistics Transformation.”
The event was organized by the National Institute of Maritime Transport (ITRANSMAR, IP) at the 61st edition of the Maputo International Fair (FACIM 2026).
Seminar participants argued that developing a coastal shipping network could alleviate pressure on road transport and reduce costs associated with the long distances goods must travel. They were unanimous saying that the country should build a maritime freight transport network that is predictable, regular, efficient, and economically viable, capable of meeting private sector needs and boosting the economy’s competitiveness.
Participants also highlighted the need to make ports more efficient by reducing waiting times and operating costs, factors considered crucial for making maritime transport attractive to the private sector.
Another challenge identified involves setting competitive prices that encourage companies to shift some of their transport operations from road to sea. Streamlining licensing, docking, and cargo handling processes was also cited as an essential condition for increasing efficiency and lowering operating costs.
The vision put forward at the seminar is that combining sea, road, and rail transport can enable faster, more predictable, and more competitive movement of goods, helping to lower costs for businesses and, ultimately, improve the competitiveness of the Mozambican economy.
By AIM.
