The companies are Bahari Oilfield Services FPZ Limited, which is a Tanzanian firm and Singapore-based entity, Springville Infrastructure PTE Limited.
Their investment is part of growth strategies and efforts to contribute towards the fledging oil and gas sector.
Speaking to the East African Business Week in a telephone interview last week in Dar es Salaam, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry Trade and Investments Dr. Adelhelm Meru said that his Ministry will continue to create a conducive environment for local and foreign investors interesting to inject their money in free port zone areas in Mtwara.
He called for all investors eyeing to invest in the Mtwara Freeport Zone specially designed for a cost effective place to store products from oil and gas projects should come forward to the negotiating table with the government.
“There is no tendering process in the investment portfolio in the country, hence the government will continue to invite investors to invest in a the new project of free port zones after it is satisfied that the said firms are capable in handling works related to oil and gas offshore,” he said.
He insisted that the doors are open for any investor operating in the free port zones in Mtwara to come forward to the government for consultation and negotiating to have the way forward in enhancing fair investing opportunities to local and foreign investors.
In his comments, the Director General of Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA), Colonel (retired) Joseph Simbakalia said it was the policy of the government to withdraw tendering process in the construction of the authority’s Freeport Zone in Mtwara.
“We publicly issued a letter of expression of interest which is at your disposal, and then Bahari responded positively. We had talked with them six months ago we issued them a licence to invest and develop an offshore undertaking,” he said.
He said among the companies that showed interests to invest in Mtwara include Schumberlger which is the largest with long experience in the business to be carried in Mtwara though it was Bahari in joint venture with a Singapore entity that secured a license.
Colonel Simbakalia said Bahari had agreed to include the construction of one km of road in their construction costs.
The foundation stone was laid at the project site recently by Mtwara Regional Commissioner Ms Halima Dendego and the Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA) Director General Joseph Simbakalia.
Source: Business Week

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