Tanzania seeks World Bank loan to upgrade the Dar es Salaam Port  

DODOMA: THE Tanzanian government has begun discussions with the World Bank to secure a low-interest loan to enable the country finance the construction of four new berths at the Port of Dar es Salaam,  the Deputy Minister for Transport, David Kihenzile said today, February 3, 2026.

He said the construction of the new berths will enable the Port of Dar es Salaam to increase its capacity to receive more large vessels simultaneously, a move expected to enhance the port’s efficiency and competitiveness at both regional and international levels.

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Kihenzile explained that a port’s ability to receive vessels depends on several factors, including the length of berths relative to vessel size, the capacity of cargo handling yards, the depth of the navigation channel, the availability of modern cargo-handling equipment, and ship-handling systems. He noted that, based on these requirements, the Government has identified the need to further upgrade port infrastructure.

The Deputy Minister made the remarks on February 3, 2026, in Parliament in Dodoma while responding to a question from the Member of Parliament for Bumbwini, Zanzibar, Mwinyi Jamal Ramadhan, who sought an explanation as to why the Port of Dar es Salaam is unable to accommodate many large vessels at the same time.

He added that the Port of Dar es Salaam currently has a total of 13 berths capable of handling large vessels, and that various improvement projects will continue to be implemented to enhance the port’s efficiency in line with growing cargo transport demand.