Modern scanner to transform cargo handling at Fumba Port

ZANZIBAR: THE Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) Commissioner General, Mr Yusuph Mwenda, has said the Authority will install a modern scanner at Fumba Port in Unguja, Zanzibar, to facilitate the inspection of cargo entering the country from various parts of the world.

During a visit to Zanzibar, the Commissioner General toured Fumba Port, where he inspected the ongoing construction of the large, modern facility.

He said TRA expects to collect increased revenue once construction of the port is completed, which will contribute to financing government operations and development projects.

The Authority will therefore install a modern scanner to speed up cargo inspection and improve efficiency at the port.

Commissioner Mwenda said the scanner will also facilitate trade, increase revenue collection and broaden the tax base, given the large volume of cargo expected to pass through the port.

“The construction of Fumba Port will further open up Zanzibar economically. Once completed, the port will have the capacity to handle a large number of containers. Since our responsibility is not only to collect taxes but also to facilitate trade, we will continue to support and simplify trade at Fumba Port, just as we do at other ports across the country,” Commissioner Mwenda said.

The Commissioner General also said TRA will continue to engage with taxpayers, visit their businesses and address their challenges promptly to enable them to grow their businesses.

For his part, the Director of the Zanzibar Ports Corporation, Mr Akif Ali Khamis, said that once completed, Fumba Port will have the capacity to handle approximately 40 containers per hour, equivalent to between 250,000 and 400,000 containers per month.

He said the port will have a length of 350 metres on each side by February 2027, which will further improve its efficiency and increase the volume of cargo passing through the facility.

Mr Khamis said construction of the port is being undertaken through a partnership between the government and the private sector.

He thanked the TRA Commissioner General for his decision to install a scanner at the port. He said the investment will enable the government to generate additional revenue and continue implementing various development projects.

He added that port users will also benefit, as they previously had to use ports in neighbouring countries before arranging for their cargo to be transported to Zanzibar.

In another development, the Chairman of the Zanzibar Customs Agents Association (ZFB), Mr Omar Mussa, said businesspeople in Zanzibar are ready to cooperate with TRA to help the Authority exceed its tax collection targets for the 2026/2027 financial year.

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He said they are prepared to support TRA in achieving its targets and urged the Authority’s leadership to continue addressing their challenges whenever they arise.

Mr Mussa said that resolving tax and business-related challenges promptly would motivate traders to pay more taxes voluntarily and broaden the tax base.

This would, in turn, enable TRA to exceed its revenue collection targets and strengthen the government’s capacity to continue implementing development projects.

“We have no problem with paying taxes, and we have always cooperated with TRA by voluntarily paying taxes and reporting the challenges we face,” the ZFB Chairman said.

In Zanzibar, the impact of tax revenue collection is clearly visible in the development taking place across the islands, particularly in the road infrastructure sector.