Page 34 - Porto da Beira Perfil e Directório/Port of Beira Profile & Directory

coMerciAL32 PERFIL E DIRECTÓRIO DO PORTO DA BEIRA 2019 | 2020weathered. commodity prices have plummeted and that has affected the balance of payments in many african countries, including Zambia, a prime market in the Port of Beira’s hinterland. the lack of spending power translates into fewer imports, creating a vicious circle.“it means we’re having to ght harder to keep our share of a smaller pie,” says Mr. de Jenga. “But the fundamentals are still in place. the Mozambican population is growing, education is improving, and there is no doubt that the country and the Port of Beira are right to be optimistic about the future. the continuing investment by cornelder de Moçambique (cdM) and the Mozambique government is proof of that.”the downturn is at least allowing the port to lift ef ciency to new heights. customers naturally become more cost- conscious during tough times and Mr. de Jenga sees this as an opportunity for the port to become an even leaner operation, while still maintaining the high quality service with which the port is synonymous. “our long term plans are not changing,” he con rms.Part of those plans is the new terminal operating system – NaViS – another reason for Mr. de Jenga’s optimism. the“We are spreading the word about Beira because we have a very different port now thanks to recent investment and the hard work of our people.”