/ 19 October 1999

WORLD BANK APPROVES MOZ LOAN

THE World Bank approved a $100-million loan to Mozambique on Friday, to help it modernize its three major port-railway systems.

The loan will help fulfill the Mozambican government’s objectives of increasing private sector participation in transport operations, developing a staff rationalization program and setting up a regulatory framework for the sector, a statement said. After a long civil war, commercial traffic in Mozambique dropped significantly. In 1998, 4,1-million tons of products traveled by railways and 7,6-million tons by port, a stark contrast to the 13 and 15-million, respectively, in 1975 before the war.