TANZANIA’S government signed a US$154 million contract on Saturday with state-run China Harbour Engineering Company to expand the main port in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

Tanzania is seeking financing for infrastructure projects as it aims to turn the country into a regional transport and trade hub.

Under the contract funded by a World Bank loan, CHEC, a subsidiary of the state-run China Communications Construction Co Ltd, will build a roll-on, roll-off (ro-ro) terminal and deepen and strengthen seven berths at Dar es Salaam port.

Tanzania hopes expansion of the port will increase container throughput to 28 million tonnes a year by 2020 from around 20 million tonnes now.

“Deepening and strengthening of the berths will allow big container ships to dock in Dar es Salaam. All these efforts are being done in order to increase competitiveness of the port,” works, transport and communications minister Makame Mbarawa said at the signing of the contract.