How Dar port plans to surpass this year’s target

Dar es Salaam. The Dar es Salaam Port director Mrisho Mrisho yesterday unveiled an internal target of handling 24 million tonnes of cargo in the 2023/24 fiscal year, thanks to the execution of the Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project (DMGP).

The amount is equivalent to two million tonnes more than the 22 million tonne target set by the government in its budget estimates.

Mrisho divulged the plans to journalists during a visit to witness operational transformation after the completion of the DMGP.

Mrisho said the Dar es Salaam port has already handled 12 million tonnes of cargo in the first six months of 2023/24.

“Only 10 million tonnes of cargo are remaining to meet the government's target. But, internally, we have forecasted to handle 24 million tonnes, therefore further exceeding the target,” he said.

“Looking at the statistics and vessel arrivals, we are optimistic about meeting the 24 million tonnes target. Ports under the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) handled 24 million tonnes last financial year. But that amount would be handled only by the Dar es Salaam Port this year,” he added.

He said in the last fiscal year, the Dar es Salaam Port handled 21.46 million tonnes, surpassing the 19.6 million tonnes target by over two million tonnes.

The handled amount also surpasses the 18 million tonnes of cargo handled in the 2021/22 financial year, according to him.

Mr Mrisho said revenue data in the last six months from the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) shows that 40 percent of customs revenue comes from the Dar es Salaam Port.

“The port's efficiency directly links with the country’s effectiveness in revenue collection. We are determined to further improve port efficiency to enable the country to meet its revenue collection targets,” he said.

He downplayed reports that the Dar es Salaam Port was overwhelmed with cargo to the extent that ships now opt for neighbouring facilities.

“This is propaganda. Today, 38 ships are waiting to offload their cargo. Tomorrow (Monday), we are expecting the arrival of another 16. We are improving offloading speed by reducing the waiting time,” he said. Mr Mrisho said the quantity of on-transit goods passing through the Dar es Salaam Port has increased by 20 percent, noting that shippers benefit from cargo destined for the seven landlocked countries.

In order to address congestion, the construction project of a logistics centre was being implemented at the Kurasini Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA), increasing efficient use of Inland Container Depots (ICDs) and improving utilisation of the Kwala Inland Container Depot.

 The DMGP was funded through a combination of funding initiatives from development partners and from the government's domestic revenue sources. The World Bank extended a $345 million loan, the United Kingdom, via the Department for International Development (DfID), provided a $12.4 million grant, and the government contributed $63.4 million.

The project aims at deepening and upgrading seven of the port’s berths, as well as deepening the entrance channel from 10.2 metres to 15.5 metres for a distance of eight kilometres and its width from 140 metres to 170 metres.

 Mrisho told journalists that the deepening and widening of the entrance channel have been completed, with the longest tourist’s ship expected to dock at the Dar es Salaam Port on Tuesday.

“It is a 294-metre ship. The port is expected to dock ships up to 305 metres long. Experts have arrived from Germany and China, where they underwent training,” he said, adding that the move will further improve port efficiency.

Berths one to seven have their depths deepened to 14.5 metres from the previous seven to nine metres, according to Mr Mrisho.

“Unlike in the past, large ships carrying over 45,000 or 50,000 tonnes can now dock at the port, therefore further increasing its efficiency,” he said.

 He said the berth is used, specifically, for offloading motor vehicles. It  has a storage capacity of 6,000 vehicles at a time in a 72,000-square-kilometre area. According to him, the 2022/23 data shows that the port capacity to handle vehicles has increased to between 250,000 and 300,000 annually.

“Modern security systems, including 470 cameras, have been installed, therefore addressing reported incidents of theft of vehicle parts,” he said.

He added that the Single Receiving Terminal (SRT) project is being implemented in the Kurasini area to address the challenge of ships waiting and traffic.

The project that commenced this fiscal year will be completed after 48 months.

In order to further improve port efficiency, berths 12 to 15 would be built as part of the port’s expansion plan.