“The Port of Dar es Salaam is vital for the economies of Tanzania and neighboring countries,” said Bella Bird, World Bank Country Director for Tanzania who also oversees Malawi, Burundi and Somalia. ”Enhancing its operational potential will boost trade and job creation across the region, and reduce the current cost of $200-400 for each additional day of delay for a single consignment.” The DSMGP is to be implemented as part of a larger ongoing investment program for the overall development of the Port of Dar es Salaam with the support of several development partners. The Government of Tanzania is contributing about $63 million through Tanzania Ports Authority, while Trade Mark East Africa is supporting improvements in the spatial and operational efficiency of the port currently, through the rehabilitation of access and egress roads and demolition and relocation of sheds. The United Kingdom through its Department for International Development (DFID) are also contributing a $12 million Grant. This support will co-finance the activities in the DSMGP, and further support is available for capacity building programs in institutions like Bandari College, the vocational training facility run by TPA, the Dar Maritime Institute, and the College of Engineering and Technology at the University of Dar es Salaam. “The UK is committed to supporting Tanzania’s growth and helping to improve the lives of Tanzanians. We’ve been a committed partner to the Tanzanian Ports Authority over the last six years. As well as the $12m grant to the Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project, DFID has funded...

The capacity of the Port of Dar es Salaam will be increased to 25 million tons over the next seven years following the World Bank Board of Executive Directors’ approval of a $345 million credit and a $12 million grant to the new Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project (DSMGP). The investments in the Port will also improve waiting time to berth from 80 hours to 30 hours as well as overall productivity. “The Port of Dar es Salaam is vital for the economies of Tanzania and neighboring countries,” said Bella Bird, World Bank Country Director for Tanzania who also oversees Malawi, Burundi and Somalia. “Enhancing its operational potential will boost trade and job creation across the region, and reduce the current cost of $200-400 for each additional day of delay for a single consignment.” The DSMGP is to be implemented as part of a larger ongoing investment program for the overall development of the Port of Dar es Salaam with the support of several development partners. The Government of Tanzania is contributing about $63 million through Tanzania Ports Authority, while Trade Mark East Africa is supporting improvements in the spatial and operational efficiency of the port currently, through the rehabilitation of access and egress roads and demolition and relocation of sheds. The United Kingdom through its Department for International Development (DFID) are also contributing a $12 million Grant. This support will co-finance the activities in the DSMGP, and further support is available for capacity building programs in institutions like...

Dar es Salaam — The Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project (DSMGP) launched by President John Magufuli yesterday is expected to boost the economy by significantly increasing Dar es Salaam Port's capacity. The project is expected to enhance trade, both locally and within the East African Community (EAC) and South African Development Community (SADC) regions. The $421 million (Sh926.2 billion) project will entail, among other activities, the widening and deepening of berths number one to 11 and construction of a new multipurpose berth at Gerezani Creek. The work will also involve the widening and deepening of the entrance channel and turning basin and improving rail linkages and platforms at the port. The huge investment will see waiting time at berths slashed from an average of 80 hours to 30 hours, thus reducing the amount charged for delay of consignments at the port. The project is being funded by the World Bank, which has provided a $345 million concessionary loan and $12 million grant. The government, through the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), has injected $63 million and the United Kingdom has provided a $12 million grant through the Department of International Development (DFID). Trade Mark East Africa (TMA) has pledged to improve the operational efficiency of the port through rehabilitation of access roads and demolition and relocation of sheds, taking the total value of the project to over $480 million. The DSMGP will be implemented in 28 months. President Magufuli said yesterday that the project was important for Tanzania's development because...

The Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project (DSMGP) has received a $345 million credit and a $12 million grant from the World Bank to increase the capacity of the Port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. The investment will increase the capacity of the Port to 25 million tons over the next seven years and reduce the waiting-to-berth time from 80 hours to 30 hours, translating to improved overall productivity. Currently, the Port of Dar es Salaam has 11 berths, seven dedicated to general cargo including container, dry bulk, break bulk and RoRo operations; and four to container operations. It has recorded an annual growth of nine per cent over the last five years with long-term projections suggesting its volumes could double from the current 14 million to 38 million by 2030. “The Port of Dar es Salaam is vital for the economies of Tanzania and neighboring countries,” said Bella Bird, World Bank Country Director for Tanzania who also oversees Malawi, Burundi and Somalia. “Enhancing its operational potential will boost trade and job creation across the region, and reduce the current cost of $200-400 for each additional day of delay for a single consignment.” The project will involve the physical infrastructure improvements featuring deepening and strengthening of the Port’s berths; construction of a new multipurpose berth at Gerezani Creek; the deepening and widening of the entrance channel and turning basin; and the improvement of rail linkages and platform in the Port. It also includes an institutional strengthening component which will...

World Bank Tanzania Tanzanias port of Dar es Salaam is set to increase its capacity to 25 million tons over the next seven years as it received a financing approval for the new Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project (DSMGP). Namely, the World Bank Board of Executive Directors granted its approval for a USD 345 million credit and a USD 12 million grant for the gateway project. The investments is expected to improve waiting time to berth from 80 hours to 30 hours as well as overall productivity. Enhancing the operational potential of Dar es Salaam port will boost trade and job creation across the region, and reduce the current cost of USD 200-400 for each additional day of delay for a single consignment, Bella Bird, World Bank Country Director for Tanzania, said. The DSMGP is to be implemented as part of a larger ongoing investment program for the overall development of the port of Dar es Salaam with the support of several development partners. The Government of Tanzania is contributing about USD 63 million through Tanzania Ports Authority, while Trade Mark East Africa is supporting improvements in the spatial and operational efficiency of the port. The United Kingdom through its Department for International Development (DFID) is also contributing a USD 12 million grant. The port of Dar es Salaam currently has 11 berths, with seven of these dedicated to general cargo, including container, dry bulk, break bulk and RoRo operations, and four to container operations. The port handled 13.8 million...

The European Union (EU) has signed a financing agreement with Africa’s largest trading bloc, COMESA, to enhance trade cooperation, according to a press release on Wednesday. The agreement was signed by EU Ambassador to Zambia and Representative to COMESA Alessandro Mariani and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)’s secretary-general Sindiso Ngwenya. The financing agreement involves a total of 68 million euros (76 million U.S. dollars) to fund the implementation of two programs aimed at reducing the cost of doing business among member countries of COMESA. According to the statement, the trade facilitation program was meant to reduce the cost of doing business and moving goods in the regional bloc and has identified five key priority areas for support. The five areas include monitoring and resolution of non-tariff barriers, implementation of the World Trade Organization trade facilitation agreement, coordinated border management and trade and transport facilitation along selected corridors and border posts. Source: Coastweek .

According to the DHL Global Connectedness Index, Africa is the world’s least connected continent, when considering the ease of moving people, trade, information and finance. All African countries need to focus on developing connectedness on the continent and building a good trade relationship. During the ongoing 2017 Africa Export-Import Bank Annual General Meeting, (AfreximAGM) taking place in Kigali, Rwanda, the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Afreximbank, Benedict Oramah and Claver Gatete, Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Republic of Rwanda also spoke about Intra-African trade which is also part of the discussion for this year’s Annual General Meeting. Africa contributes about 15 percent to intra-African trade, which is very low when compared with other continents such as Asia and Europe with 50 percent and 70 percent respectively. Benedict Oramah highlighted what Afrexim is doing to boost intra-African trade. He revealed that Afrexim is trying to deal with the biggest constraint with intra-African trade, which is the knowledge of the market in other countries. The bank is also working on developing standards and certification programs. He also explained that Afrexim Intra-African trade is not just trade between African countries but also between Africans and Africans in the Diaspora. “We regard Africans in the Diaspora as the 55th African country,” said Benedict Oramah. So far, Rwanda is making headways in ensuring that it boosts intra-African trade in the East African Region and the entire continent. The country has taken a number of laudable steps to ensure that this is achieved. According...

The Fund is expected to eliminate some of transport hurdles that have been causing delays, Dorothy Nakaweesi writes. Transport ministers of the Central Corridor have signed a $30 million (Shs108 billion) external fund which is expected to eliminate some of transport hurdles that have been causing delays. The Central Corridor route connects the Port of Dar-es-Salaam by road, rail and inland waterways to Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo and all of central and northern western Tanzania. This route forms part of the backbone of the regional transportation system in East and Eastern Central Africa carrying the import and export of five countries with a population of more than 120 million people. Uganda's transport minister, Ms Monica Azuba Ntege, speaking at the signing ceremony of a joint commitment at their 8th Interstate Ministerial meeting held in Kampala last week, said: "The economic success of all member countries and the subsequent well-fare of the people will depend on how well leaders will address the issues of infrastructure development in the Central Corridor." Improvement She said this corridor should emphasise improvement in infrastructure facilities which include ports, water ways, railway services, air services, roads, energy and communication. "This Corridor is a critical route for Uganda's international trade because it gives access route to the sea for our exporters and importers. Once all these commitments are fulfilled there will be a reduction in the cost of doing business along this route," She noted. Ugandan traders have...

As you take on the mantle, what key areas are you focusing on to ease doing business in the region? One of the issues I want to look at is harmonising domestic taxes and free movement of persons. We want to see Ugandan workers, Tanzanian workers or Burundian workers seeking temporary employment crossing the borders to any of the member states freely. But this has not been happening and it is inhibiting the principles of the Common Market which seeks for free movement of services, free movement of persons and free movement of capital. But we also want to see the EAC partner states harmonise the laws to control illicit trade in the region. The laws are taking long yet we want them to be done very fast to improve trade in the region. Illicit trade has continued to affect industrial growth in the region going by substandard and counterfeit goods and products clogging our market. What is stalling these processes? The East African Community (EAC) is an independent organ and we have no capacity to push them to do things according to the speed of the private sector. Private sector is profit oriented and we want to see things done yesterday, not or tomorrow. We are now involving Heads of State in the challenges we are facing in doing business so that decisions are made quickly. How are you going to boost intra-regional trade as a Council? I am glad to mention that intra-regional trade is booming among the...

In recent days, the big story in the East African region has been the US threat to withdraw export benefits enjoyed by Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi through what is popularly known as Agoa. Agoa is the acronym for "African Growth and Opportunity Act", backed by a law passed in 2000 in the US to provide a window in which tax-free products would be exported to the US domestic market from Agoa qualifying countries in Africa, including those in our East African Community bloc. For countries which fully utilised the opportunity, Agoa benefits have been immense. Kenya, for example, has so created nearly 70,000 Agoa-related jobs and in 2016, it exported to the US products valued at Sh867 billion, eight times more than the combined exports of Sh100 billion by Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. The Agoa Act has thus been a signature trade deal between the US and African fledgling economies. With another extension of the benefits in the last term of President Obama's presidency, the Agoa deal was expected to continue. But now things are changing. A powerful US trade lobby group wants Agoa benefits for EAC withdrawn and have petitioned President Donald Trump to kick the EAC out of the arrangement. The lobby group is targeting Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi because of their decision to phase out importation of second hand clothes and shoes. Kenya is spared because it has rescinded on the EAC agreement to ban "mitumba" or impose huge taxes on such imports. The US lobby...