TPA strengthens key economic gateways

MWANZA: THE Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) is making significant progress in enhancing port services across the country, making them crucial gateways to the national economy.

TPA has also urged traders from various regions to utilise the improved services in cargo handling, storage and passenger transport.

TPA Public Relations Officer, Mr Leonard Magomba, on behalf of the TPA Director General, informed the Minister for Industry and Trade, Dr Selemani Jafo on the development, during the official opening of the 19th East African Trade Exhibition in Mwanza City.

Mr Magomba emphasised that major improvements are underway at all key ports, particularly those along the Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria, focusing on meeting the demands of international trade.

“We have strengthened all our ports, including Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, Tanga and those in the Lake Victoria, to accommodate larger ships and compete globally,” he said.

Regarding Dar es Salaam Port, Mr Magomba highlighted that extensive renovations have been carried out, including upgrading berths and increasing depth from 8 metres to 14.5 metres.

He also noted enhancements to the port’s turning basin and the entry and exit gates, which have improved the facility’s capacity to handle larger vessels.

The upgrades have enabled Dar es Salaam Port to accommodate Panama size vessels up to 300 metres in length, positioning the port for significant national and international economic growth.

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At Mtwara Port, he said a second berth has been constructed and modern cargo handling equipment have been obtained, boosting the port’s capacity to handle oil and vehicle shipments.

Similarly, he said Tanga Port has been upgraded with new berths and increased water depth, enabling ships to offload cargo directly from the berths, a situation that has significantly improved efficiency.

In the Lake Victoria region, Mr Magomba noted that, TPA has upgraded three key strategic ports, Mwanza North, Bukoba and Kemondo, where at Mwanza North Port, a modern berth, passenger terminal and perimeter wall are currently under construction at a cost of19.5bn/-, with 35 per cent of the work completed.

Mr Magomba said at Bukoba Port, a project costing 20.3bn/- has reached 85 per cent completion, which its works includes the construction of a berth, passenger terminal and vehicle parking area.

He said Kemondo Port, which is the only port in the region capable of handling large ferry wagons, has reached 45 per cent in its renovation, where its improvements include increasing the water depth from 2 metres to 5 metres, enhancing its ability to serve larger vessels operating in Lake Victoria.

Mr Magomba emphasised that the upgrades in terms of constructions present a significant opportunity for businesses to utilise the ports more efficiently, thus boosting their economic activities in the maritime transport sector.

“We invite clients and visitors to take advantage of our well-prepared ports, as we are committed to offering top-quality services”, he said.

Minister for Industry and Trade, Dr Selemani Jafo, commended TPA for its substantial efforts in enhancing the country’s ports, noting that those improvements have served as a major catalyst for other economic sectors, including agriculture and trade, which continue to strengthen and contribute to the country’s economic growth.