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China Merchants Holdings International, the world largest independent port operators, are to develop the Bagamoyo port, starting with the quay, the container yards, the cargo terminals and all dredging work, which is expected to be completed by 2017.
The port’s facilities are then to be further developed over a period of 30 years, with the ultimate goal of 20 million container per year capacity. The plan is to turn the Bagamoyo port into the largest port on the east coast of Africa, allowing it to accommodate ships with a 10,000 TEU capacity. The zone is expected to be fully developed by 2024.
Apart from establishing firm arrangements on the Bagamoyo port project, Chinese officials have taken advantage of their visit to Tanzania to officially start works on a Chinese-financed, 150-acre logistics hub next to the busy port of Dar es Salaam.
Abdallah Kigoda, the Tanzanian minister for industry and trade, said that the Chinese side would provide USD 412.5 million for the project, located in the Kurasini area of Dar es Salaam.
According to the Yiwu-Africa International Investment Corporation, the Chinese partner in the project with the Tanzanian Export Processing Zones Authority, the new hub will have five zones: a commodity exhibition area, a warehouse, a technical training center, a support services area and an import-export processing zone.
Tanzania: Ministry mulls tuna fishing deep sea port
The [Tanzanian] government is planning to construct a fishery port, in a move aimed to manage, control and increase revenues collected from the fishery industry especially from tuna fishing industry in the country.
Currently tuna fishing is conducted by large fishing companies in the deep sea fishing zone where small scale fishermen cannot reach, even with surveillance by our patrol boats tracking them is often out of reach.
Dr Yohana Budeba, the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development, told different stakeholders gathered in Bagamoyo, Coast Region that currently experts from the ministry are conducting a feasibility scan of the area on where such a port would be installed.
He said currently the government has set aside Sh300million to conduct feasibility studies along the coast and the findings will be used for further implementation.
Experts will come up with terms of reference of the study as to where the port will be put up and the actual cost of the project before tenders are advertised for bidding, he further noted.
“We have areas like Kilindi, Kilwa, Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Pangani, Somanga, Mtwara and Mafia that can be used as deep sea fishing port of call but experts will identify a place that will be favourable to put up such a facility on the basis of their findings,” he stated.
Detailing, he said the government will collect more revenues from anchor fees, by cadge charges from deep sea shipping vessels and from fueling ships anchored at the port while loading or offloading cargo.
He expressed concern that the government fails to obtain plenty of revenues that would be collected from deep sea fishing vessels, in which case such a facility would help curb tax evasion.
The government will also increase revenue collected via licenses issued to such vessels or their companies operating within our fishing zone, in like manner as other countries do.
Fatuma Sobo, assistant director at the Ministry, said the tuna fishing management strategy will help to supervise exploitation of economic zone marine resources, including tuna fishing.
Implementing the strategy will not remove marine surveillance needs but boost efforts to ensure that tuna fishing and its administrative control is properly conducted along the country’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.
“The aim of the government is to ensure that tuna fishing is controlled, developed and benefits the stakeholders and the entire country.
I kindly ask the small and medium scale fishermen to unite so as to have enough capital to compete with large scale fishermen who have actual control of deep sea fishing where tuna is available,” the director urged.
Marine resources including tuna fishing are controlled by large scale fishermen, making it helpful that the government puts up concerted efforts to ensure that small and medium scale fishermen enter into the industry, she said.
Stakeholders agreed in their two days discussion to work together to ensure that the strategy launched benefits both the government and the various stakeholders based on regulations and marine legislation, she added.
Source: Guardian on Sunday
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