Mpulungu harbour: Who is benefiting?

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Mpulungu harbour: Who is benefiting?
By ALVIN CHIINGA
SIMON Lwengu has been reminiscing on what he terms as the good olddays when his children could have all the three meals of the daywith resources coming directly from the booming business atZambias only port, Mpulungu.
In contrast, he now feels betrayed and hopes for the best in theever receding future.
He was slowly becoming a destitute due to what he calls lack ofbusiness.
Then, Simon used to engage into several business ventures such asselling different merchandise people that flocked to the port.
A migrant from Luapula province, Simon together with his family offour trekked to Mpulungu in search of greener pastures which havenow turned out to be browner.
He is now contemplating getting back to his roots if his family isto survive the harsh economic environment that has hit those thathad the harbour as their life- blood.
Simon is not alone in this quagmire as many other people living inthis small but once viable town have hanged their boots and feellife is not fair.
Why is this happening to us, we can hardly sustain ourlivelihoods, there is no more business for us here,Mr Lwengusaid.
Simons colleagues who are in his shoes as well share the samesentiments and feel that there is something urgent that need to bedone for the people of Mpulungu.
They rekindle memories of the SV Liemba, the ship that whichbrought hope to the people of Mpulungu some years back whenbusiness was booming as this could enhance trade between Zambia andother countries such those from the Great Lakes Region.
This gigantic ship brought a thousand tonnes of merchandise fromdifferent countries attracting truck loads from Zambia and this wascalled business.
The Liemba was assembled and launched on Lake Tanganyika at thestart of the First World War having been built in Germany.
The Liemba is 220 feet long with a beam of 33 feet, a draft of 9feet and has tonnage of 793 tonnes.
Mpulungu then, according to locals was a hive of activity,restaurants, guest houses and several other businesses sprung up.
Unfortunately, this is now a thing of the past and locals haverisen up to the occasion as they feel neglected.
Controversy surrounding the running of Zambias only port, MpulunguHarbour on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in the Northern Provincehas dragged for some time now.
Residents that greatly benefited from the business that was massivesome years back feel duped.
The current investor, Mpulungu Harbour Management took over therunning of the harbour in September 2000 in a concession agreementwith the government that the company would manage the affairs ofthe harbour for 25 years subject to a five- year review.
The locals and other port users have been appealing to governmentto terminate the contract as the first five years of the concessionagreement as they feel that the port is not performing well.
Residents allege that Mpulungu Harbour Management Limited havemonopolized the running of the harbour.
This, they claim has led to the reduction is business at theharbour hence the direct negative effects now being felt by thepeople in Mplulungu.
This is our God given asset, it has been a source of income foryears and from time immemorial, said one resident who soughtanonymity.
He said that what was more worrying is that business has dwindledat the port due to several aspects among them high tariff chargesthat has many transporters abandon the port in preference for otherroutes.
Mpulungu Harbour Port Manager, Collins Kasonde recently said thatthe Mpulungu harbour was embroiled in several problems that haveleft indelible marks among the residents.
Mr Kasonde said that the harbour has numerous constraints, amongthem, exorbitant charges as this has led to narrow commodity baseand one direction flow of goods.
He said that there was no natural monopoly though the port wasstrategically located adding that the lack of a Zambian registeredvessel on the lake has also had adverse repercussions.
Although strategically located, the port still remains a bottleneck in the north-south corridor trade route due to enormousinadequacies in port facilities and limitations- constrainingdesign capacity of 72, 000 metric tonnes paer annum, he said.
Mr Kasonde said that this was against the background that thecompletion of expansion programmes at bothChilanga Cement andZambia Sugar would increase the floe of goods as shipping on LakeTanganyika would serve the ports of Burundi, Tanzania and the CongoDRC.
He said that the fact that there was only a narrow usage of theport users which as of now stands at two, many potential port usershave been curtailed from doing so.
Communications and Transport Minister Dora Siliya said that shewould make a follow- up on operational problems that exist betweenMpulungu Harbour Cooperation and Mpulungu Harbour Management.
The minister said that she will ensure that the problems atZambias only harbour are sorted out in the shortest possible time.
Ms Siliya was speaking in Mpulungu a fortnight ago after sheconducted a tour to familiarize herself with the operations of theharbour.
She appealed to the local people to be in the forefront inchampioning development as government has created a conduciveenvironment for investors.
As government we have created a conducive environment forinvestment as this is evidenced from the several investors thatkeep flocking to Zambia, she said.
Ms Siliya however said that the concession has been one of the waysthat has been used to improve operations at several institutions.
She said that the local people are supposed to be ready to face thechallenges of the concession at Mpulungu harbour.
Mpulungu harbour is allegedly operating at a loss due to theproblems that exist between Mpulungu Harbour Management which areAgro-Fuel and Mpulungu Harbour Cooperation representing government.
Mr Kasonde further said said that there is a significant reductionin income generation due to high tariffs and the monopoly thatmanagement is currently enjoying at the harbour.
Mr Kasonde said that because of this, many transporters haveabandoned using the harbour in preference for other routes.
He said that there is less business at the harbour now as traderssuch as those from the Congo DR, Tanzania have opted for otherroutes.
He said that there was an urgent need to solve the operationalproblems if the harbour is to benefit the local people.
Locals here feel neglected as they feel that they are not gettingthe benefits from Mpulungu harbour, he said.
He said that this was despite the fact that the harbour received3,000 Euros (about K4.4 Billion) in 2001 for a facelift from theEuropean Union.
Mr Kasonde said that due to the problems at the harbour, the EUwith drew funding of a third phase of the facelift of the harbour.
The third phase of the facelift programme was aimed at procuringthree tractors, trailers, fire tenders, navigational aid and radiocommunication equipment.
He said that statistics have shown that there is a continuousreduction in trade at the harbour.
In 2006, the harbour managed to handle 58,000 metric tones, in2007, the number reduced to 52,000 metric tonnes while this year,the number has further reduced to 40,000 metric tonnes, he said.
He said from the 40,000 metric tonnes, only 28,000 metric tonneswere obtained from normal business as the other number was obtainedfrom goods that were donated by the World Food Programme in transitto Burundi.
It only takes a visit to this once vibrant port for someone tounderstand the anguish that has gripped the locals and one wouldonly hope that a lasting solution is found in the shortest possibletime.
Ends.