Port of Pemba, Northern Mozambique, Granted SPS Code by the IMO

November 25: According to a delegate of the main and largest port of Cabo Delgado province, northern Mozambique, the Port of Pemba has the capacity to respond to situations related to theft and piracy, unauthorised access, embarkation of drugs and physical attacks on its facilities.

Arnaldo Manjate, during a meeting between the governor of Cabo Delgado Province, Júlio Parruque and the port facility managers and agencies, said that this was the result of the facility being granted an SPS Code, which aims to structure the threat assessment and set appropriate security measures for vessels and port terminals.

Manjate, quoted by Mozambican daily newspaper Notícias, said that Mozambique’s state-owned ports and railways company CFP, which owns the port, has recently invested $5 million USD in refurbishment and equipment procurement, in order to make it more efficient in meeting its customers’ needs.

Statistical data showed that the cargo handled annually at the port of Pemba is less than 180,000 tons, compared with its installed capacity of 470,000 tons.

This is due to the fact that most economic agents in Cabo Delgado province import into the port of Nacala in Nampula province.

This decision is related to the high freight prices charged by the port of Pemba, while in Nacala a container received or shipped pays a flat fee of US$600, a third of what is charged at Pemba.

Source: Macau Hub