New customs regulations for goods traffic are expected to be approved by the end of August in Mozambique, as part of a set of reforms intended to modernise legal procedures and standards, as well as make them more flexible and tailored to international trade, said a report by Mozambiquan daily newspaper, Notícias, carried by macauhub.

Citing a statement issued recently by the Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative (MCLI), the newspaper said that the new customs legislation on goods traffic, for the purposes of transparency, included simplification and harmonisation with Mozambique’s trading partners, the standard and recommendations of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), as well as what is set out in relevant international conventions.

According to the regulations, customs traffic is considered to be the circulation - within Mozambique and controlled by the appropriate official authorities - of goods from outside the country headed for another point outside the country, which are free from payment of rights and other charges.

A document on this subject has been submitted to the finance minister for approval, which is expected by the end of the first week of August, according to the MCLI website.

Under the terms of the regulations, goods in transit in Mozambique’s customs territory are subject to customs control from their point of departure to their destination, and both the entry and exit of goods in transit must be declared to the customs authorities. It is not authorised for goods in transit to be loaded, unloaded or transferred outside of officially-designated areas, except in cases where there is concern with loss or damage of the goods or the means of transport.

The new disposition also establishes that the goods in transit are subject to payment of fixed charges of 500 meticals for each single transit document (STD), and 10 metical cents for each ton of general bulk cargo, or for each STD.