DAVID MUWANGA
Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) is to reduce container rates for the Ugandan traders using the Port Bell-Dar-es-Salaam route during the month of May 2018.
The revised rates will be $60-$70 per ton for containers from Uganda transported through Portbell in Luzira via Mwanza to Dar Port, while containers from Dar Port via Mwanza to Kampala will be paying $75, according to the TPA Director General Eng. Deusdedit Kakoko. .
“The purpose of rejuvenating the activities on this route is to ensure that business grows, regional trade increasing and ultimately achieving prosperity for our people as always emphasised by President Yoweri Museveni,” he said.
He was addressing the media at a briefing organized by the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (CCTFA) coordination office in Kampala, Terp Media and Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) at Port Bell, Luzira in Kampala.
He said that the total intrinsic annual capacity of the port is estimated at 16 million metric tons which serves general cargo of over 4.5 million tons container of over 5 million tons and liquid bulk of over 6.0 million tons.
He pointed out that port authorities have continued to improve services and by December 2017, the import container dwell time averaged at 8.0 days, ship waiting time at 2.5 days and ship-turn-around time at 1.9days.
“Efforts are now geared towards implementing a single window port community system (PCS0) to further reduce container dwell time to five days,” he said.
He added that cargo clearance at the port is to be further improved with the opening of the one stop centre in Dar es Salaam in June this year.
“The aim of this facility is to bring all stakeholders in cargo clearance under one roof leading to much efficiency,”.
The CCTFA report released recently pointed out that the road network in Tanzania has also continued to improve steadily.
“A quality road network is operational through the corridor between Dar es Salaam and Kampala and is now extensively used to move cargo to and from the Port with a cargo delivery time of four days to Kampala while the weighbridges between Mutukula and Dar es Salaam have been reduced to only 3 from 8,” said the report.