Lusaka: The Mpulungu Harbour Authority has with immediate effect reduced port charges on all consignments being handled at the port destined for the Great Lakes Region (GLR) to make them more competitive and improve on the flow of traffic. Cargo weighing above 50 kg like steel, cement and sugar for example, has been reduced from US$18 to US$16 per tonne with effect from October 1 last year.
Port charges for traders in transit with cargo such as kapenta and fish, have come down to $3 from the previous $3.50. For the local community ferrying kapenta to the great Lakes region will now be charged K3, 500 per bag from K5, 000.
Mpulungu Harbour Authority, port manager Collins Kasonde said in an interview yesterday that, the authority decided to reduce port charges on all cargo being handled because the fees were high and uncompetitive. Mr Kasonde said management hoped that the reduced charges would help to increase the flow of traffic through the port.
Most of Zambia’s exports passing through Lake Tanganyika are destined for Burundi although a small portion goes to the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. Mr Kasonde said management decided to reduce the charges because they were higher than those charged by other ports in the region.
“In order to reduce on the cost of doing business we have decided to cut down on port charges in an effort to become more competitive and allow more goods to be exported into the Great Lakes Region (GLR),” he said.
Mr Kasonde said the reduction of port charges would enable producers and traders to be more competitive thereby creating higher levels of economic growth, employment creation and consequently reducing poverty.
Mr Kasonde said the company would be looking at ways of wooing back business from Zimbabwe, Burundi and Tanzania among others.
