A $565 million (£345 million) project to almost double the capacity of the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania has come a step closer following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU).

The MOU was signed by the Tanzanian government and the World Bank, the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID) and Trademark East Africa, who have agreed to financially back the Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project. The work involves deepening existing berths, building a new one and dredging the entrance channel.

The aim is to increase the capacity of the port to 28 million tons by 2020, compared with the 14.6 million tons handled in 2013/14.

The cost of the project will be covered by a mixture of loans, credit and grants from the development partners.

Phillipe Dongier, World Bank country director for Tanzania, said the project would make “a substantive contribution to the development of both the country and the East Africa region”.

Ros Cooper, acting head of office for DFID in Tanzania, said: “The port of Dar es Salaam is arguably Tanzania’s most important infrastructure asset. Future growth of the economy depends on the port’s ability to improve, to become more efficient and to be able to handle more trade.”

Source URL: Supply Management

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