Approximately 20 years ago, Mozambique underwent a profound transformation of the logistical model for the circulation of goods at a national level: due to the abolition of maritime cabotage, economic agents had to replace the circulation of their goods by road.
Many companies were forced to create their own distribution logistics solution and, at the same time, transport companies of all types of goods began to flourish throughout the country.
In addition to this phenomenon, the Mozambican government at the time began the process of granting concessions for the management of the country’s ports, leading to an inevitable increase in road traffic over the so-called development corridors (Maputo, Beira and Nacala).
In the last decade we have witnessed the appearance of large-scale projects, the so-called megaprojects, in the centre and north of the country, more specifically in the provinces of Tete, Sofala, Nampula and Cabo Delgado.
Road traffic in Mozambique has undergone profound change due to a very substantial growth in economic activity inside and outside the country.
Just as the variety of products circulating in such a vast country and where control of the circulation of goods is so scarce has grown.
It should be noted that, according to 2018 data from the National Institute of Statistics of Mozambique, the country had a road network of 30 504 km of surface area, of which only 8 085 km were surfaced. In other words, only 26% of Mozambique’s roads were surfaced. During the same period, the number of vehicles grew by 41% compared to the previous year.
Given the size of the country, where thousands of trucks circulate every day on busy roads with little or no conditions for the circulation of goods and with little supervision, it is imperative to provide goods transport companies with the capacity to increase their levels of safety, reduce the risk of accidents and increase environmental protection.
The company certification processes currently underway in Mozambique are a clear sign of the increased levels of demand from service providers, as well as of the notion that companies have that it is imperative to improve their processes in order to have a more rational and structured organisation to be part of these mega-projects. But that is not all.
Improving the business environment also means substantially improving the safety levels of company activities, reducing the risk of accidents and avoiding environmental damage in the country.
However, a final note of extreme importance is required: in Mozambique, the certification process of companies cannot be left solely to their own responsibility.
For two reasons: 1) not all companies have the financial capacity to do so; and 2) the benefits of improved business activity resulting from certification processes do not benefit only them.
