Fumba port set to boost Zanzibar trade and revenue as TRA plans modern cargo scanner
TRA Commissioner General Yusuph Juma Mwenda (wearing a red tie) visits the Fumba Port in Unguja, on Saturday, August 15, 2026, where he pledged to install a modern scanner at the facility, which is expected to boost Zanzibar’s economy. PHOTO| COURTESY
Dar es Salaam. The completion of Fumba Port in Zanzibar is expected to boost trade, expand the tax base, and increase government revenue, with the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) planning to install a modern cargo scanner to facilitate faster and more efficient inspections.
TRA Commissioner General Yusuph Mwenda said the authority would install the scanner at the port to improve cargo inspection whilst facilitating the movement of goods entering Zanzibar from different parts of the world.
Mr Mwenda made the remarks on Saturday, August 15, 2026, during his tour of Zanzibar, where he visited Fumba Port and inspected the ongoing construction of the modern facility.
He said the completion of the port would provide TRA with an opportunity to increase revenue collection, which would contribute to financing government operations and development projects.
“The construction of Fumba Port will further open up Zanzibar economically. Once completed, the port will have the capacity to handle a large number of containers,” said Mr Mwenda.
He said the scanner would help speed up cargo clearance, facilitate trade, and broaden the tax base, particularly given the large volume of cargo expected to pass through the port once it becomes fully operational.
Mr Mwenda also said TRA would continue engaging taxpayers through visits and consultations to identify and address challenges affecting their businesses promptly.
For his part, Zanzibar Ports Corporation director general, Mr Akif Ali Khamis, said upon completion, Fumba Port would have the capacity to handle approximately 40 containers per hour, equivalent to between 250,000 and 400,000 containers per month.
He said the port would have a length of 350 metres on each side by February 2027, a development expected to improve port operations and increase cargo volumes.
Mr Khamis said the construction of the port was being implemented through cooperation between the government and the private sector.
He welcomed TRA’s decision to install a modern scanner, saying the investment would help increase government revenue and support the implementation of development projects.
He added that port users would also benefit from the facility because they had previously been forced to use ports in neighbouring countries before transporting their cargo to Zanzibar.
Zanzibar Customs Brokers Association (ZFB) chairman, Mr Omar Hussein Mussa, said traders in Zanzibar were ready to cooperate with TRA to help the authority exceed its revenue collection targets for the 2026/27 financial year.
Mr Mussa urged TRA to continue addressing challenges faced by traders, saying timely resolution of tax and business-related issues would encourage voluntary tax compliance and broaden the tax base.
“We have no problem with paying taxes, and we have always cooperated with TRA by paying taxes voluntarily and presenting the challenges we face,” said Mr Mussa.
