Saturn to build spare parts plant in Dar

DAR ES SALAAM: SATURN Corporation, assembler of China’s Howo trucks, plans to build a spare parts manufacturing unit at its Dar es Salaam plant, with construction starting next year and production the following year.

The initiative aims to reduce the company’s reliance on imported components and strengthen its local supply chain, potentially improving delivery timelines and lowering operational costs for truck owners.

Saturn’s Managing Director, Mr Rehmatullah Habib, told a visiting delegation of businesspersons from Oman that the company has so far been importing all assembly components, but now aims to bring the technology into the country, a move that will also create more job opportunities for young people.

“The primary goal of this new facility is to reduce reliance on imported components,” Mr Habib told the delegation on Tuesday.

The new unit will expand the truck assembler’s workforce from the current 250 to 350 employees.

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He said many young recruits joined without technical skills but are now performing professionally. The company, which initially relied on 25 Chinese experts—now down to 16 and plans to send others to China for advanced training.

Mr Habib revealed that since the plant’s inauguration last year, vehicle sales have risen from 200 units to 1,800 and he projected they would reach 3,000 by year-end. He also said the government’s increase of the Industrial Development Levy on imported vehicles has significantly supported the growth of local industries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Director of the Department of the Middle East, Ambassador Abdalah Kilima, said the visit to Saturn’s factory aimed to assess local investment and explore potential partnerships.

“The presence of this factory is proof that the country offers numerous investment opportunities and has a conducive environment for doing business,” Amb Kilima said.

Mr Yagoob Al Rabaani, Vice-President of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, praised the country’s capacity to assemble high-quality vehicles and maintain an industrial facility to international standards.

“We are truly impressed by Tanzania’s ability to assemble vehicles of such high quality. We are ready to collaborate for mutual technological development between Oman and Tanzania,” he said, noting that Oman’s free economic zones could facilitate technology transfer and partnerships with Saturn.

Meanwhile, Director of Industrial Development at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Mr Juma Mwambapa, cited Saturn as a successful example of public-private collaboration.

The factory currently operates two shifts instead of three due to a workforce shortage but is expected to provide more jobs once fully operational.