President Lazarus Chakwera visited Port of Nacala, one of the most reliable ports for commodities arriving in Malawi from abroad, as part of his tour to Mozambique to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
The president was accompanied by his counterpart President of Mozambique Felipe Nyusi.
Speaking on the significance of the port, the Malawi leader said the Port of Nacala is an important trade and economic hub that provides an efficient and cost-effective avenue for the transportation of people, goods and services into our economy.
He said: “Despite being located outside our borders, the port gives Malawi coastal access and facilitates timely transit of goods including petroleum products and farm inputs.
“It is pleasing to see how the port’s developments have led to an increase in its capacity and efficiency to handle cargo.”
He added that his visit to this port has helped his administration to appreciate the logistical challenges and opportunities that Malawi must take note of in order to maximize the benefits it can provide.
“I am also aware of the role the port plays in the Nacala Development Corridor Agreement which focuses on construction and rehabilitation of key infrastructure to enhance trade between Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia.
“At the moment several projects are currently underway in the three countries to improve port facilities at Nacala and construct a railway and road network leading to the port. We are also in the process of constructing One-Stop-Boarder-Posts with the two countries to ease movement of goods and people,” said Chakwera.
Meanwhile, during the evening, the Mozambique government hosted President Chakwera and his entourage to a banquet in the capital city Maputo.
Earlier in the day, President Chakwera and President Nyusi jointly presided over the ground breaking of the Mozambique – Malawi Interconnection transmission project which will see Malawi tap in electricity from it’s neighbor.
