The consultant for the construction of Bagamoyo Fishery Port in the Coast Region will be availed in September this year, the ministry of livestock and fishery development has revealed. Public Relation Officer at the ministry Judith Mhina told the Guardian on Sunday mid-week that currently the government is evaluating consultancy bidders for the project to be opened after 90 days. “We are still evaluating consultancies who showed the interest to bid for the project to evaluate its cost. Consultancy will be opened after 90 days in accordance with the national procurement procedures” she said. Ms Judith also underscored that the process has followed the laid down procurement rules and regulations saying the consultancy will chart project’s cost paving way to find a firm to execute it. It was earlier announced that the construction of the Bagamoyo fishery port would have commenced January this year and be completed in 2017. The project that is expected to boost the country’s economy will have the capacity to handle twenty times more cargo than Dar es Salaam Port, currently the country's largest port in the country. Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Finance, Dr Servacius Likwelile represented the government during the signing of a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the government and the Chinese government which will execute the project at the cost of Sh89bn. Dr Likwelile said the port would improve the country’s economy especially after various data showing that Tanzania was losing a lot in trade and commerce opportunities due to...

Kenyan and U.S. companies are negotiating a potential multibillion-dollar agreement with the Kenyan government to help develop the East African country’s biggest infrastructure project. The U.S. companies want to take part in the Lamu Port Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor, which envisages the construction of a port, power plant, railway and other facilities, according to Issa Timamy, governor of Lamu county in southeastern Kenya. Discussions are being led by Aeolus Kenya Ltd., a closely held power and infrastructure developer known as AKL, he said in a phone interview on July 21. “AKL has been in ongoing negotiations with the U.S. government and the government of Kenya proposing a suite of integrated, critical infrastructure solutions that will initiate Kenya’s Lapsset program,” the Nairobi, Kenya-based company said in an e-mailed response to questions on Sunday. It said the group of U.S. companies interested in the project, known as Lapsset, includes Bechtel Group Inc Discussions about the deal coincide with U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Kenya and come amid competition for influence in Africa, where China surpassed America as the continent’s biggest trading partner in 2009. Chinese trade with Africa reached $198.5 billion in 2012, compared with U.S.- African trade of $99.8 billion, according to the Washington-based Brookings Institute. The suite of projects being negotiated by AKL is known as the American package, Timamy said. ‘Very Excited’ U.S. Transport Secretary Anthony Foxx said last month his government is “very excited about Lapsset and we want the American package to be considered,” according to...

Following the opening of the Taveta/Holili one stop border post (OSBP) between Kenya and Tanzania earlier this month, clearance time has been reduced from an average of 33 hours to just nine hours, according to news reports citing project manager, Daniel Muturi. According to a recent statement from TradeMark Africa (TMA), the Taveta-Holili border post is one of more than 10 that are being built to facilitate trade and movement of people and goods. TMA chief executive, Frank Matsaert, said work on another major OSBP at Busia and Malaba on the Uganda/Kenya border was nearing completion. “We are already upgrading facilities on the Busia and Malaba border as well as working to improve the management of work processes, eventually easing transit times.” Source: FTWOnline

Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) has expressed its willingness to strengthen relations with stakeholders to ensure that port services improve to significantly contribute to government earnings. TPA’s Acting Director General, Awadh Massawe said it is now the time for creating a new orientation between his authority and its stakeholders from both public and private sectors. Massawe told stakeholders that the Tanzania Minister for Transport Samuel Sitta had directed the board to make sure that TPA-stakeholder relations improve and work together for the betterment of the authority and country at large. “Our port can function well if we will closely work with our stakeholders,” Massawe said. Massawe stressed that among other things, it is through best relations with stakeholders that Dar es Salaam port can compete with other regional ports in today’s competitive environment. It was agreed during the meeting that TPA will meet stakeholders on every last Thursday of the month to discuss and strategize on how to improve port services. “We are also going to form a committee that will be tasked to make a follow up and make sure that things are implemented on time,” the Ag DG explained. He pointed out some of the challenges need fast intervention as delay of cargo out of the port. TPA wants to expand regional market for the interest of the nation. “We have not done enough marketing outside the country, this is one of the priorities for now,” he noted. He said TPA aims to turn Dar es Salaam Port of...

The Intergovernmental Standing Committee on Shipping (ISCOS) has developed a mobile phone-based tool for monitoring, reporting and resolving Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs). These are experienced by users of ports and trade corridors in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. Director of trade facilitation and policy harmonisation at the ISCOS secretariat Alex Zulu told IHS Maritime: "The tool commonly known as m-Ship is expected to revolutionise the industry as real time-service users participate in decision making and policy formulation and improve the shipping and transport industry in East, Central and Southern Africa region." "The scope of the platform covers the ports of Dar Es Salaam and Mombasa through transit countries to the hinterland through the Central, Dar Es Salaam and Northern Corridors including roads, rail, pipeline and the inland water ways," he added. Zulu said: "The implementation of m-Ship platform has been endorsed by the ISCOS member states and is being introduced to long-distance truck drivers, clearing and forwarding companies and shippers through their associations and organisations." The platform reports on service providers including customs services, clearing and forwarding agents, shipping lines and shipping agents, container fright stations, port and railways police, inland container depots, weighbridges and ports. The importers, exporters and consumers of services from the region's ports will be able to use their mobile phones to provide oversight on the public and private sector services providers they deal with every day. Through m-Ship users of these services will be able to report delays, incidents of corruption and commend where services are...

Minister of Industry and Trade Mounir Fakhri Abdel Nour has announced plans to launch a website serving the Egyptian businessmen who search for investment opportunities in Africa. Chairman of the ministry’s Commercial Service Ali El-Leithy said the website will contain data on African markets of interest to Egyptian businessmen. Outstanding companies, insurance opportunities, customs duties, shipping options and costs, and locations of Egyptian commercial representation offices will be available on the planned website, including tenders put up by African governments, according to Leithy. The website may also feature market studies about goods and trading sectors within each African country, as well as a given country’s most important exports and imports and its trade agreements with Egypt. It will also announce exhibitions hosted by African countries. It is worth mentioning that Egypt, in June, hosted the inking of a free trade agreement between Africa’s biggest economic blocs, the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC). Source: State information service

African Trade ministers Monday informally converged in Nairobi to prepare for the 10th World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial conference slated for December. Speaking at the meeting at a Nairobi hotel, Foreign affairs secretary Amina Mohamed said the informal meeting of African trade ministers is set to brainstorm on the issues on the table for the ministerial conference. Some of the issues on the table according to Ms Mohamed include agriculture, market access, industrial growth and public health among others. The (WTO) ministerial conference, is expected to bring together over 6000 participants to discuss issues of concern in Africa’s trade relations. “I believe you will all readily agree with me that our common objective is to turn the Nairobi Ministerial Conference into a forum for harvesting specific outcomes particularly with respect to the coming into force of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and an agreement on a balanced and ambitious Post-Bali Work Programme,” said Ms Mohamed. She said it is important that African countries practice value addition on their raw materials before export. ADD VALUE “We want to be able to add value on goods in our country so that we do not export jobs to other countries, we do not want to open up our markets so much and reduce chances of us industrializing,” Ms Mohammed said. Speaking at the same meeting the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary General, Dr Mukhisa Kituyi called on African governments to slow down on commodity exports. “Slowing down on commodity...

The Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) signed between 26 African nations in 2015 is the most significant and historic trade deal signed on the continent in decades. The new and vast economic zone will link three trade blocs that would unite 57 percent of the continent’s population and allow free movement of goods and people with predictable positive effects on the African economy. The initial agreement, signed in Egypt’s Red Sea resort—Sharm El-Sheik—in last month, aims to combine the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the South African Development Community (SADC), and the East African Community (EAC) to one trade region. What member states agreed, in theory, requires practical implementation of the treaty as well as negotiations and ratifications by the respective national parliaments. At a recent AU heads of states summit African leaders decided the agreement to come into effect in 2017. With less than two years left, some African countries might struggle to meet the given deadline target. Given the current geo-political realities on the continent, it’s hard to see how such a short deadline could be met at the same time and by all member states. The difference in size, economic strength, bilateral relation, political situation and stage of development amongst member states might represent a challenge to the 2017 goal, some experts say. For instance, many African countries have poor relations between them and that says it all – without the prerequisite of serious diplomatic and political relations it could take considerable time for...

Cargo clearance at the Taveta/Holili border post has greatly improved trade between Kenya and Tanzania following the opening of a One-Stop Border Post. Project manager Daniel Muturi told reporters recently that before the opening, it took 33 hours to clear vehicles carrying cargo across the shared border. “It now takes only nine hours for documents to be processed,” he said. Under the project, financed by Japan through its international cooperation agency, Jica, cargo clearance, immigration, customs and other border transit procedures are done under one roof, unlike in the past when each country would do its part. Tanzania Revenue Authority supervisor at Holili Aden Mwakalobo said drivers and ordinary travellers are now relieved of the cumbersome custom and immigration procedures that used to take days. A Tanzanian immigration officer, Mr Edwin Mwasota, said it took only 10 minutes at most to process travel documents. Construction of the Holili-Taveta post, which aims to ease cross border trade in East Africa and transportation of people crossing the common border, is complete and is awaiting the official launch by leaders of the East African Community. “Construction at Holili-Taveta is complete, paving way for controls that will save time and money for traders ferrying goods to northern Tanzania,” said a recent statement from Trade Mark East Africa (TMA), a not for profit organisation that supports EAC integration. The Taveta-Holili border post is one more than 10 that are being built to facilitate trade and movement of people and goods. The concept was adopted by...

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania - Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) has expressed its willingness to strengthen relations with stakeholders to ensure that port services improve to significantly contribute to government earnings. TPA’s Acting Director General, Awadh Massawe said it is now the time for creating a new orientation between his authority and its stakeholders from both public and private sectors. Massawe told stakeholders that the Tanzania Minister for Transport Samuel Sitta had directed the board to make sure that TPA-stakeholder relations improve and work together for the betterment of the authority and country at large. “Our port can function well if we will closely work with our stakeholders,” Massawe said. Massawe stressed that among other things, it is through best relations with stakeholders that Dar es Salaam port can compete with other regional ports in today’s competitive environment. It was agreed during the meeting that TPA will meet stakeholders on every last Thursday of the month to discuss and strategize on how to improve port services. “We are also going to form a committee that will be tasked to make a follow up and make sure that things are implemented on time,” the Ag DG explained. He pointed out some of the challenges need fast intervention as delay of cargo out of the port. TPA wants to expand regional market for the interest of the nation. “We have not done enough marketing outside the country, this is one of the priorities for now,” he noted. He said TPA aims to turn...