The money will be used to widen berths 1 to 7 for the port to be able to accommodate bigger vessels as well as turning it into being the cheapest and most competitive entity in the East and Central African region.
TPA’s Acting Port Manager, Hebel Mhanga disclosed this in Dar es Salaam, to journalists when speaking to 11 man-Chinese delegation, which is in the country for a working visit.
Among other activities, the Chinese delegation is expected to take part in a function of laying the foundation stone for the construction of Bagamoyo Port Project today.
According to Mhanga, part of the money will be used to enlarge the turning basin at the port, dredging of the entrance channel, construction of conveyor belts for bulk cargo handling and other operating systems.
The fund will also be used in upgrading the main gate of the port entrance from 140 metres to 200 metres to allow larger vessels to enter at the port.
He also disclosed that TPA plans to increase the depth of the port from 10.5 metres to 13 metres to make the facility be able to accommodate bigger cargo ships as well as raise the volume of cargo at the port.
“Our main focus was just to receive big ships similar to other countries and prevent them to dock in other countries,” he said.The upgrading project is dubbed: ‘Modernising Berth 1-7’, with the aim of improving the port capacity from handling 14.6 million tonnes by 2013/2014 to 28 million tonnes in the next five years.
The official described the project as beneficial to Tanzania and the landlocked countries of Malawi, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.
“This project means a lot to Tanzania’s economy as the port will now be able to accommodate all cargo ships irrespective of their sizes,” Mhanga said.
He was optimistic that the improvement of TPA’s infrastructures will turn the port into the cheapest and most competitive in the East and Central African region.
Commenting on the Chinese delegation’s visit, the TPA official said: “The Chinese delegation visited the Dar es Salaam Port so as to get proper information on how we operate, before the construction of Bagamoyo Port Project. And they are satisfied that we’re doing well in terms of cargo handling.”
Citing examples, the official told the Chinese delegation that in 2014, the port handled 14.8 million tonnes, while in 2010/2011, the facility handled 10.3 million tonnes.
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Florence Turuka said President Jakaya Kikwete is today expected to grace the ground breaking ceremony of the Bagamoyo Port Project, a component of Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone estimated to cost USD10bn upon completion.
The first of its kind in East and Central Africa, the project is a transformational project to include an ultra-modern port, supporting infrastructure as well as an industrial park.
He stated that the President will be laying the foundation stone to launch the first phase of the project, to include construction of the port around an area of 800ha in Bagamoyo District.
“Apart from the sea port and the port side industrial zone, the project includes support infrastructure in form of railways, road network, electricity, running water, gas and communication network,” the PS said in a statement.
As for the project benefits, the statement said, the project is expected to transform Tanzania into a transport logistics hub and gateway to the Regional and International Trade with a linked industrial platform for value addition and manufacturing processes.
The genesis of the project dates back to 2008 during President Kikwete’s visit to China, in which he initiated talks with the then Chinese President, Hu Jintao to develop the Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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