Mtwara Port
BY THE GUARDIAN REPORTER
1st December 2012
The Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) and the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) have jointly invited potential investors to express interest on leasing plots of between 6,200 and 15,900 square meters on the 10-hectare area earmarked for oil and gas firms supply base.
EPZA Research and Planning Manager James Maziku has described the response to the invitation so far as positive, with nearly a dozen potential investors having responded by the last Friday deadline.
“Many companies have shown interest to invest in the (Mtwara Freeport) zone…it’s an indication that investors are eager to operate at the area,” he said, noting that the respective authorities will meet soon to evaluate applications before inviting the firms to submit detailed investment proposals.
The Special Economic Zone Act 2006 and the EAC Customs Union (Freeport Operations Regulations) stipulate that companies seeking to undertake operations that provide services to oil exploration and gas extraction companies, should be limited to warehousing and storage, as well as labeling, packaging and repacking; sorting, grading, cleaning and mixing; breaking bulky; simple assembly and grouping of packages.
Mtwara region has earmarked about 110 hectres for the Free Port Zone, with the first phase of the EPZA/TPA joint project on the 10 hectares scheduled to operate as an oil and gas supply base.
EPZA and TPA have partnered on the project to support smooth exploitation of natural resources in the southern regions, endowed with a huge amount of gas and oil. Investors are already flocking to the southern region to invest in manufacturing plants—cement and fertilisers in particular.
Deep sea exploration is in progress by multinational companies—Petrobras, British Gas and Orphir, making it inevitable to have a logistical centre to supply materials and services to the companies for efficient operations.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
No comments :
Post a Comment