President of the Republic, Daniel Chapo, announced this Friday, June 6th, a project to establish two dry ports along the Beira Corridor, specifically in the provinces of Sofala and Nampula, in central and northern Mozambique, with the aim of facilitating trade with neighboring Malawi. “Malawi has high expectations for the implementation of the two dry ports project, which results from a public-private partnership. These infrastructures are crucial to improving trade transactions,” declared the Head of State during a joint press conference with his Malawian counterpart, Lazarus Chakwera, in Lilongwe.
Chakwera, for his part, reiterated the need to ensure good business conditions between the two countries. “We are an interconnected region and must ensure a favorable business environment, mobility, and logistical security.” According to Lusa, the governments of the two countries signed several agreements on Thursday, June 5th, to strengthen bilateral relations, following talks between the two Presidents.
Mozambique and Malawi inaugurated the first One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) at Dedza to facilitate bilateral trade. The infrastructure was developed under the Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project (SATCP), supported by the World Bank, which aims to strengthen connectivity, facilitate cross-border trade, and promote sustainable economic growth in Southern Africa.
“With this innovative one-stop border model, border control processes between Mozambique and Malawi — including immigration, customs, health, and others — will be carried out at a single entry and exit point, promoting greater efficiency in the movement of people and goods between the two countries, reducing time and logistical costs,” the statement reads.
Signed by both governments on November 23, 2021, but only ratified by Mozambique more than three years later, the new agreement provides for One-Stop Borders, replacing double control in each country at the Mwanza–Zobué (Tete province), Dedza–Calómuè (Tete), Muloza–Milange (Zambézia), and Chiponde–Mandimba (Niassa) border crossings. The Mozambique–Malawi border, which stretches for 1,569 kilometers, was established in November 1954 by agreement between the former colonial governments.
Source: Diário Económico
