Chinese deputy minister visits Tazara

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Chinese Deputy Minister Li Jinzao visited the Tanzania Zambia Railway (Tazara)

The Chinese deputy Minister was accompanied by his delegation. During the inspection tour the Minister for Transport Engineer Omari Nundu, Deputy Minister for Transport Dr Athumani Mfutakamba and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport Engineer Omari Chambo were also present.

In a brief press conference by Tanzania Port Authority’s Director General Ephraim Mgawe he said after a master plan study of Dar e salaam port authority in 2009, the finding showed that Dar es Salaam Port needed two more berths for handling container traffic.  “A Chinese Communication Construction Company Limited carried out a feasibility study for developing two berths.

The study ended in May 2010. The scope of work entails construction of two berths, dredging of entrance channel and creation of a container stacking yard among many other things,” he said. The study indicated that the two more berths would increase efficiency of Dar es Salaam Port.

The improvement to entrance channel and associated structure would allow entry of large vessels.  “The project is estimated to cost 524 million US dollars. However, the negotiation on project finances between the government of Tanzania and the China Exim bank are in progress, ” said the DG.

“This is after submission of an official application by the government of Tanzania to the Exim Bank of China for concessional loan to finance construction of the project,” he added.  Minister for Transport, Eng Omari Nundu said there were approximately 12 companies who had shown interest in building the two berths.

Apart from the significant improvement of the port such as increasing container handling capacity, reduction cost of doing business in the country and sound development of the economy, the project will also expand employment.   Mr Mgawe said TPA is expecting to increase container traffic volumes.  Dar es salaam Port handles 95 per cent of Tanzania international trade. The port serves the non-coastal countries of Malawi, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda

By HASINA MJINGO, Tanzania Daily News

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