DAR ES SALAAM: PROMISES MADE, promises delivered could be an understatement with the major development at the Port of Dar es Salaam.
It is more than election pledges; it is a broader vision to tap into Tanzania’s strategic position as a gateway to land-linked countries and a transportation hub for two major regional blocs in the Sub-Saharan region.
The Port of Dar es Salaam serves as a crucial import and export terminal for several countries in the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), facilitating economic growth both domestically and within the region.
Significant improvements have raised expectations among Port users, who commend the government for ensuring increased efficiency at the port thanks to sound investments in modern equipment for loading and unloading of cargo.
The port began implementing a grand expansion project called the Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project (DMGP) in 2017.
Owners of trucks carrying cargo from the port said the major development made their business easier and livelier.
“Big changes have occurred at the Dar es Salaam Port,” Mr Rahim Dossa, Vice-Chairman of the Tanzania Truck Owners Association (TATOA), remarked during an interview with the ‘Daily News’ recently.
Mr Dossa pointed out that the port improvements have led to several advantages for their companies dealing with logistics.
“In the past, a ship was forced to wait up to 25 days in the outer anchorage before docking at the berth, which also affected our business but nowadays it hardly takes five days,” he explained.
He argued that speedy loading and unloading make their business vibrant and profitable.
“This is something that we as stakeholders, want – that consignments are unloaded timely and speedily so that we can take them to the destination,” he added.
His remarks were echoed by the Business Congolese International (BCI), an association for coordinating Congolese businesspeople who use the Dar es Salaam Port for importing and exporting goods.
The association’s president, Mukendi Godefroid said that significant work has been done at the port in terms of upgrading the infrastructure.
“Consignments come and are cleared smoothly. The port expansion has brought a big impact. Previously, Congolese importers were staying in Dar es Salaam for up to two weeks waiting for the ships to unload their cargo, causing them to incur extra costs for accommodation and other expenses. But nowadays, there is high efficiency,” Mr. Godefroid pointed out.
The 2020 General Election in which the ruling party CCM marketed its Election Manifesto (2020-25), included pledges regarding the improvement of the Dar es Salaam Port.
The party pledges in the manifesto that during the five-year period, it will strengthen port infrastructures along with other logistics and transport activities to make Tanzania a hub for such activities.
They also promised to address nepotism and other shortfalls causing delays in the release of cargo from the port, which leads to increased unnecessary costs for businesspeople and investors using the port.
It argued that strengthening port services would be done through deploying modern tools and technology.
Ahead of the 7th Multiparty General Election next year, the question was lingering about what has been done as far as promises in the ruling CCM’s manifesto on Dar es Salaam Port are concerned four years down the lane.
The Dar es Salaam Port has undergone a significant upgrade through the 357 million US dollars Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project (DMGP)
Financed by the government of Tanzania jointly with the World Bank and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the DMGP has supported the reconstruction and deepening of berths 1–7 to 14.5 metres so the port can now comfortably host large vessels, compared to an average 8-metres draft before the expansion.
TPA’s Public Relations and Communication Manager, Nicodemus Mushi, recently said the upgrading has brought significant changes in operations at Dar Port, which plays a major role in the economies of the neighbouring countries of Burundi, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
ALSO READ: THE ROAD TO ELECTIONS: Why updating PVR crucial
“We have successfully addressed previous challenges by dredging the entrance channel to international standards, achieving a depth of 14.5m. As a result, ships are now able to enter and depart smoothly leading to an increase in the number of ships calling at our ports.
“Furthermore, we have expanded the turning base with depths ranging from 14.5m to 15.5m. This expansion allows even larger container ships, such as Panamax and post-Panamax to call at our port at any time,” he says.
In addition to these developments, Mr Mushi notes that the Dar es Salaam Port has been serving major projects currently being undertaken by the country, including the East African Crude Oil Project (EACOP), the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHP) and the Standard Gauge Railways (SGR) Project.
Following the improvements, the number of ships calling at the country’s principal port increased to 317 calls between October and November last year, up from 274 ship calls recorded in the corresponding period in 2022.
The cargo handled at Dar es Salaam Port rose to 4,016,007 tonnes between October and November 2023, from 3,590,854 tonnes in the corresponding period in 2022, which is equivalent to an 11.8 percent increase.
Mr Mushi insisted that the increased cargo traffic confirms TPA’s maritime, operational and logistics capabilities, as well as its efficiency, readiness and capacity to receive the largest number of ships.
He further explained that the increased cargo traffic is a blessing and not a curse, insisting that the port is operating at full capacity to provide the market needs of goods imported from overseas.
