TPA rehabilitates 10 ports, dismisses Bagamoyo Port deal
DODOMA: TANZANIA Port Authority (TPA) said it is impressed with the progress reported in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of various ports countrywide saying most of them are near completion.
Among the development initiatives being implemented across the country, is the construction of the Kwala Inland Container Depot in the Coast region, according to Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) Director General, Plasduce Mbossa.
The Director General of TPA made the remarks today, Monday February 24 in the capital while briefing journalists on the implementation of TPA projects under the four-year leadership of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
He said Kwala Inland Container Depot has seen the completion of a five-hectare hard-surfaced yard and drainage system, alongside the 15.5km road from Vigwaza to the depot.
In Tanga, he said, the first phase of the port expansion has been completed, increasing the depth from three metres to 13 metres and widening the entrance channel and turning basin. The second phase, involving the construction of two berths with a total length of 450 metres, has also been finalized and is operational.
In Mtwara, the first phase of expansion has seen the completion of a 300-metre berth, rehabilitation of the cargo yard, and the construction of an access road linking the new berth.
Additionally, work has commenced on the new Kisiwa Mgao Port, constructed for handling bulk cargo such as coal and cement, with the contractor already on site.
The government is also enhancing ports along Lake Tanganyika, with progress reaching 95 percent for the design and construction of office buildings, passenger terminals, and cargo berths at Kibirizi and Ujiji ports. Similarly, the new Lagosa Port is 99 percent complete, while the Karema Port project has been completed and is operational.
The Lake Victoria Port improvement programme has seen extensive developments, including the completion of berths, administration buildings, passenger terminals, and warehouses at Magarini-Muleba, Nyamirembe, Bukoba, and Kemondo Bay ports.
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Currently, the rehabilitation of Kemondo Port has reached 99 percent completion, Bukoba Port is at 88 percent, and Mwanza North Port stands at 58 percent.
For Lake Nyasa, Ndumbi Port has been upgraded with a new berth and hard-surfaced yard, while the construction of the new Mbambabay Port is at 20 percent completion.
Mbossa reiterated the government’s commitment to improving port efficiency nationwide, with investments in modern facilities, including two new berths measuring 500 metres and a dedicated oil handling terminal at Dar es Salaam Port.
“The government, through TPA, remains focused on strengthening port service capacity and efficiency through new port constructions equipped with state-of-the-art facilities,” he affirmed.
Meanwhile, the government has clarified that no contract has been signed for the construction of Bagamoyo Port, dismissing claims circulating on the matter.
Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) Director General, Plasduce Mbossa, made the remarks on Monday in the capital while briefing journalists on the implementation of TPA projects under the four-year leadership of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
“We have not signed any contract for the construction of Bagamoyo Port. What is currently being undertaken is a feasibility study review, following the suspension of the process years ago,” he stated.
He noted that several companies have expressed interest in investing in the project, but at this stage, only Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) are being signed to facilitate discussions.
“To those claiming that a contract has been signed, I assure you that this is not true. No contract can proceed without due process. What we are signing are MoUs to engage in discussions with various companies,” he explained.
