UGANDA is upbeat that the landlocked East African countries will increasingly opt for the cost-effective central corridor for both its export and import cargo via the Dar es Salaam port, citing current efforts to improve the infrastructure.

With these cooperative efforts, I don’t see reasons why cargo shouldn’t pass through the central corridor … let’s market the route,” said Engineer Monica Ntege, Uganda’s Minister of Works and Transport.

Doubling as chairperson of the Central Corridor, Eng Ntege said the Ugandan government had since made efforts to encourage its business people to use the route after completion of construction of the Kampala-Port Bell rail line.

The strategic railway which is part of the Central Corridor intends to improve movement of cargo to and from the port of Dar es Salaam through Mwanza port in Tanzania.

Through the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC), she noted, they have already spoken with Ugandan companies to transport cargo through the central corridor.

Yesterday, the minister visited Dar es Salaam port and other central corridor infrastructure to see development of the projects aimed at improving efficiency of the corridor.

As chairperson of the central corridor I have to come to see for myself because I can’t always rely on what technical people are briefing me,” she said, adding that she saw construction activities going on.

She said the two governments of Uganda and Tanzania are tirelessly working to increase the cargo volume via the Dar es Salaam port. “We believe that having cargo passing here through this port we will reduce costs and thus Uganda will be competitive and prices of goods will go down,” she said.

Briefing the minister, Acting Director General of the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), Engineer Karim Mattaka, said for the port to realise its targets of increasing the capacity, it has embarked onmajor project to dredge and expand the port.

Eng. Mattaka said the project goes in tandem with the current construction of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) which will be carrying cargo from the Dar es Salaam port to the interior parts.

TPA’s Director of Marketing, Ms Lydia Mallya, told the minister that the authority has formed a special task force to deal with processes and procedures to handle Uganda’s cargo. The move is expected to make the Dar es Salaam port penetrate further to the Ugandan market.

Source: All Africa

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