Kudumba - A Unique Security Service And A Groundbreaking Business Model

"Kudumba In Mozambique; Takes The Lead In Border Security, Scanner And Hi Energy X-Ray Implementation For Customs Facilitation"

Mozambique is situated on the SE coast of Africa to the North of South Africa. It has a huge coastline spanning nearly 3000km from its border with SA in the South to its border with Tanzania in the north. It is a natural gateway into South/Central Africa feeding countries such as South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Malawi, DRC, Zambia through the natural logistic corridors of the Port of Maputo in the south, Port of Beira in the central region and Port of Nacala in the North. An interesting fact is that Port of Maputo is closer to the industrial heartland of South Africa, The Johannesburg/Pretoria (Guateng area) than its own major homogeneous Port of Durban. In the 1960s prior to Mozambique long lasting civil war which ended in 1992 The Port of Maputo was as busy as that of Durban; with continual growth as seen, maybe one day it will be again!

KUDUMBA ( in the local language of Changana means "TRUST" ) is implementing its 20 Year concession contract with the Government of Mozambique to provide Border security and related services centering around a Non Intrusive Inspection capability using Hi-Energy X-Ray systems. Kudumba won the international tender for a service concession in October 2005; with its first site deployments in Maputo International Airport and the Port Of Maputo becoming operational in June of 2006. The service contract was awarded on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis in the form of a Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT). The BOOT provisions for a range of Security, Cargo and conventional X-Ray equipment and services in order to maximize the Mozambican Customs capability to inspect Export, internationally transshipped, transit and import commodities across all of the border crossings at Land, Sea and Air. The provision of this service capability was awarded within strict guidelines meeting international requirements and developments whereby Customs perform the core elements of the inspection process, Selectivity, Image Analysis and Decision making. Kudumba manage; take control and supply of "Non Core" service elements of the operations which facilitate the customs requirements in these areas.

Kudumba provides a turnkey solution with no capital outlay on behalf of government. ROI is gained through a Government agreed tariff rate. Our NII systems and service utilize the latest X-Ray technology; our baggage screening and security service use a wide range of technology systems from the market leaders in these fields. Our manufacture independence allows us to demand the best the market has to offer based on technology capability, advancements and commercial acumen. Through our concession we are mandated to reinvest and maintain latest technology availability to our customer, thereby ensuring the best (Fit for Purpose) equipments in their hands. Our equipment support activities and maintenance planning is based on manufacturer supported local capabilities. These are provisioned within a comprehensive skill transfer, asset management, redundancy holding and preventative maintenance plan, all resourced locally to ensure maximum equipment availability and minimum equipment down time. As an example our Nuctech MT1213LT 4 MeV mobile system in the Port of Maputo operates on a 24/7 365 day basis and over the last 12 months has had an availability figure of 99.78% - surely an enviable and impressive statistic!

Our implementation plan for the rest of Mozambique will see a Further 11 (Eleven) Non Intrusive Cargo Inspection Systems with a contract value of US$18 Million being deployed completed over the next 12 Months. These will be deployed at the Land Border crossing point of Ressano Garcia (the major Border crossing with South Africa): the Southern Region Rail Intersection: an extensive reequipping of Maputo International Airport: the Port Of Beira: the Port Of Nacala and the replacement and upgrade of equipments at the Port of Maputo.

The Cargo X-Ray systems procured from Nuctech Co Ltd utilize the latest 6MeV Dual Energy (DE) Linear Accelerators (LINAC), these provide much improved image quality with a material discrimination ability, thereby greatly enhancing the Customs capabilities at the Ports and Borders. Additionally a wide variety of Air Cargo, baggage and people screening capabilities including baggage CT scanners will enhance operational security at the airports. All provided and run within the framework of our service.

A major element of our concession is the Kudumba commitment to provide a comprehensive skill transfer program that recruits and trains local personnel to international standards for its service operations. Further we have developed and are implementing an intensive and comprehensive training regime for the training of Customs personnel in a variety of subjects in addition to image analysis and interpretation. All training being conducted and delivered utilizing our state of the art CBT based training suite, in partnerships with world leading training providers and the equipment manufacturers themselves.

IT and IS control systems are at the forefront of our operations and we have developed a bespoke robust and scalable Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) package along with the design of an equally robust and scalable ICT backbone network. The ERP package as well as providing commercial functionality allows us to collect valuable movements, commodities and port usage statistics. The distributed communication system that has been established via microwave and VSAT links provide centralized control and management, data warehousing historical archiving and intelligence acquisition, all centrally controllable from a command centre.

During the inauguration ceremony of the first system at the Port of Maputo Mr Proven Ghordhan the Chairman of SARS in South Africa and the then Chair Person for the council of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) said in referring to the Scanner service deployment in Mozambique:

"No doubt that the scanning facility will bring in short and medium term huge differences in the increase to Mozambique revenue and security. Mozambique can be proud for their leadership"

This statement has proven to be the case and Kudumba is providing a valuable and progressive service that is the envy of much larger and long established service companies within this field. The non core elements of customs activity are being outsourced giving them maximum capability and availability of equipments and allowing them to concentrate on their core business of law enforcement and revenue generation. The business model has been proven and the service is a success enhancing Customs capabilities;

Why hasn't every country got Kudumba providing this outsourced service, surely it's only a matter of time?