Communication - Presse
MPDC signs contract addendum to invest over two billion dollars
The Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC) has signed an addendum to its contract with the Mozambican government, under which it will invest over two billion dollars in the Port of Maputo, in the next 25 years of its concession.
The investment will increase the handling capacity of the Port, from the current 37 million tonnes per year to about 52 million tonnes, and from the current 270,000 containers to one million. The investment should result in a direct return to the state estimated at over eight billion dollars over the next 25 years of the concession granted to the MPDC.
By the end of the concession, MPDC will have invested around three billion dollars.
The addendum to the contract was signed on Friday by the Deputy Minister of Transport, Amilton Alissone, and the Executive Director of MPDC, Osório Lucas.
According to Lucas, over the course of the extension period, the company has agreed to increase the capacity of the coal terminal from eight million tonnes to 18 million, as well as to increase the capacity of the general cargo terminal from the current 10 million tonnes to over 13 million.
“The extension of the concession will also bring benefits to the surrounding communities. As part of the addendum, the government negotiated with MPDC a series of social investments in structuring projects that should contribute to improving the quality of life of the people who live in and around the port’s ecosystem. These investments reaffirm the principle that the port’s growth has to be of and for the people”, said Lucas.
For his part, the Deputy Minister explained that the initial request for a contract extension was for 10 years. However, the government assessed Mozambique’s strategic importance in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and challenged MPDC to invest more robustly.
“After negotiations between the government’s multi-sector team and MPDC, the fundamentals for increasing the capacity of the container terminal and the coal terminal, among other investments, were adjusted, resulting in an extension of the concession period to 25 years in return for an investment of more than two billion USD”, Alissone said.
“The government projects direct benefits for the national economy, including over eight billion USD in rents, dividends and direct taxes. In addition, we foresee the generation of more than 1,000 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect jobs, contributing significantly to the country’s socio-economic development”, he added.
