Tanzania envisions the Kurasini Logistics Park to officially start services in November 2026
DAR ES SALAAM: THE Minister for Transport, Prof Makame Mbarawa, has said the Kurasini Logistics Park is expected to start operating as an extension of the Dar es Salaam Port from November this year, in a move aimed at reducing congestion at the port and improving cargo handling efficiency.
Speaking during an inspection tour of the facility, Prof. Mbarawa said the government had agreed to use the area not merely as an Inland Container Depot (ICD), but as an extension of the port where cargo inspection, clearance and other government services will be conducted.
He said the use of Kurasini Logistics Park as a port extension would allow some containers discharged at the Dar es Salaam Port to be transferred to the facility, where clearance and other procedures would be completed.
“The main objective is to use this area as part of the port in order to significantly reduce congestion at the Dar es Salaam Port. Cargo will be discharged at the port, but the clearance process will be completed here,” Prof. Mbarawa said.
He said several conditions had to be met to ensure the smooth implementation of the plan, including the installation of mobile scanners at the facility to enable cargo transferred to Kurasini to be inspected without having to return to the port.
The minister also directed that the road connecting the Dar es Salaam Port and Kurasini Logistics Park be designated as a Customs Bonded Road to facilitate the secure movement of cargo under the supervision of relevant authorities.
Prof. Mbarawa said the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) had been directed to work with TARURA, TANROADS and the relevant municipal authorities to ensure the road was dedicated to transporting cargo from the port to Kurasini.
“Cargo leaving the port will not be scanned there. It will be brought here for scanning. To make this possible, the road must be designated a Customs Bonded Road, approved by TRA and equipped with security and monitoring systems,” he said.
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According to Prof. Mbarawa, the area was initially intended mainly for container storage, but the government now plans to integrate it into port operations to increase the capacity of the Dar es Salaam Port to handle growing cargo volumes.
He said the facility would initially handle import containers, while arrangements for handling export containers would be considered later after addressing the challenges involved.
Prof. Mbarawa said if preparations proceed as planned, the facility would be ready by November to operate as a port extension, with TPA, the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and other relevant government institutions stationed there to provide cargo-related services.
He added that the initiative would enable customers to collect their cargo more quickly while reducing the congestion of trucks and containers at the Dar es Salaam Port and improving the overall efficiency of the port.
Meanwhile, the Director of the Port of Dar es Salaam, Abed Galus Abed, said the growth of port activities and the expansion of the city had contributed to increasing congestion of trucks and cargo in areas surrounding the port.
He said the government had continued investing in infrastructure such as Kurasini Logistics Park to provide additional capacity for storing trucks and cargo before they leave the Dar es Salaam Port.
Mr Abed said cargo volumes had increased significantly in recent years, noting that the increase of approximately six million tonnes had placed additional pressure on road infrastructure.
He pledged that the relevant authorities would implement the directives issued by Prof. Mbarawa to ensure the facility becomes operational and contributes to reducing congestion at the Dar es Salaam Port.
