TANGA: A surge in port activity at Tanga Port has led to a staggering 400 per cent increase in registered clearing agents from 32 to 164, underscoring the booming economic growth in the region.
The government’s 429bn/- investment in port infrastructure has catalysed this growth, attracting a diverse range of businesses and cargo.
Tanga Port Manager, Masudi Mrisha, said there was a sharp rise in ship traffic between July 1 and September 30, with 113 vessels docking during this period. This surge has directly contributed to the expansion of clearing and forwarding services.
Of these, 40 were high-seas vessels, while 73 operated along the coast, he said.
“Employment has risen alongside the port’s improvements. Previously, we had only 32 registered clearing and forwarding agents. But just last week, we registered 132 more, bringing the total to 164,” Mrisha stated, highlighting the employment opportunities created by the surge in port-related activities.
A key contributor to this growth is the Seafront Company, which handled 12 ships in the first quarter. Seafront’s operations contributed 8bn/- out of the 18.6bn/- the port generated during this quarter, which ended on September 30.
The 12th ship from Seafront, MV IN HAI TONG 50, a 189-meter-long vessel, arrived at the port today, carrying 350 vehicles—175 for the local market and the rest in transit—along with other cargo.
“One of the major achievements of the port improvement project is the reduction of loading and offloading time, which has decreased from five days to just two. This is made possible by running six shifts and operating 24 hours a day,” Mrisha said.
He also highlighted the removal of fees that were previously charged to clients for hauling cargo from ships anchored 1.7 kilometres offshore. “Clients used to pay 1.3 US dollars per cargo for this service, but that charge has been eliminated,” he added.
In terms of cargo handling, Mrisha revealed that the port processed 333,643 metric tonnes of cargo from July to September, surpassing its three-month target of 283,025 tonnes by 17.8 per cent.
This is a significant increase from the 230,000 tonnes handled during the same period last year.
“If this trend continues, as it seems likely, we may reach our target of handling 1.4 million metric tonnes of cargo this year,” Mrisha projected.
He further mentioned that the port has begun constructing new cargo storage facilities at its Mambani site to accommodate the growing volume of cargo.
“We also have other sites, including land we acquired at Chongoleani, where the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is building its oil terminal,” he added.
Enock Bwigane, the Communications Manager for the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), praised Seafront Company for becoming a major stakeholder in the port’s growth.
“Seafront is a prime example of the benefits brought about by the port’s improvements. We are now able to handle cargo for the Central African Corridor, including copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia,” he said.
