Maputo, Mozambique, 9 Jan – Mozambique is not likely to have a tyre industry once again given that the investors interested in re-launching Mabor de Moçambique have suggested transforming the factory into an industrial complex, Mozambican newspaper Notícias reported.

Apolinário Panguene, chairman of state stake-holding company Igepe told the newspaper that contacts underway with some parties interested in Mabor involved changes in the main business with a view to adding value to products and creating jobs.

“Mabor is in a more complicated process because the tyre market in Mozambique nowadays is difficult and potential investors that have appeared face difficulties in re-launching the business to manufacture tyres,” Panguene explained.

The company ahs been at a standstill for over 10 years due to structural difficulties and as a result its facilities have been abandoned.

Mabor, which was opened in 1979 as a partnership between Mozambique and the American Tyre Company, was at one time a regional success story and exported tyres to neighbouring countries such as South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. (macauhub)