Mozambique picks Chinese investors to build one-stop border post

Mozambique awarded a 25-year contract to two Chinese companies to build and operate a one-stop border post at Machipanda near Zimbabwe, adding to two other logistics deals secured by the firms. The accord with Union Portlink Capital and Zhongmei Engineering Group will use a public-private partnership model, with the Chinese companies holding a 75% stake, government spokesman Inocêncio Impissa told reporters on Tuesday in Maputo, the capital. The Mozambican government will contribute 15% through a state road fund, with the remainder held by local businesspeople.

More than 400 freight trucks pass through Machipanda daily, travelling between the Port of Beira and the hinterland. The one-stop border post is expected to improve the efficiency of border services and reduce waiting times, Impissa said. Construction is scheduled to begin in October at an estimated cost of $30 million, according to the government spokesman.

Zhongmei and Union Portlink already have agreements with the government to build the Beira Port Access Road and the Dondo Logistics Terminal, with an investment of about $160 million. READ:Mozambique: Beira corridor projects now have financing agreements — government