East African Business Week

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA- As much as Tanzania Ports Authorities (TPA) moves to improve the cargo handling process and  decongesting the port, inadequate port infrastructure, space within and outside the port and failure by other institutions such as the Tanzania Railways Limited (TRL)and Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) directly hinder PPA’s efforts.
    Speaking during a visit by Vice President Mohamed Bilal to the port
last week, the Director General of TPA, Ephraem Mgawe, said Dar Port faces challenges of slow speed to remove landed cargo from the port area.
    Under normal conditions most containers destined for Tanzania mainland towns, especially the central, west and Lake Victoria zones, and neighbouring landlocked countries, are transported by TRL trains.
    TRA, particularly the Customs department is accused of being slow to collect Customs duty and to release goods from its hold in the port area, hence contributing to the congestion.
    Mgawe also cited inadequate infrastructure of the oil jetty at Kurasini in the port area which leads to delays in discharge of petroleum products from ships; very often than not, TPA has to make special arrangement to discharge oil at the expense of ordinary cargo ships.
    Prior, all blame for port congestion was pointed at the International Container Terminal Services (TICTS) ‘inefficiency’.
However, the latter brought in modern container handling machines that have improved the situation remarkably, thus shifting the blame onto TPA.
   Mgawe also said, the authority was in its final
stages to get finances for improvement of the port,     especially challenges that are directly connected  to the authority like space and general expansions.       
    Dar port has the capacity to handle 9.1 million tones per year, but last year it handled only 9 million tones comprising such imports as edible oils, fuel, vehicles, machinery, fertilizers and exports of copper (from Zambia) and to and from landlocked countries of Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Malawi.