Industrialists urge SGR station for Kibaha Industrial Park

Dar es Salaam. Industrialists at the Sino-Tan Industrial Park in Kwala, Kibaha District, have called on the government to establish a Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) station in the area to facilitate efficient transportation of goods, services and people.

The Sino-Tan Industrial Park, developed and operated by Sino-Tan Kibaha Industrial Park Co. Ltd, covers an area of about 1,000 hectares (10 square kilometres).

The 1,000-hectare industrial park, developed by Sino-Tan Kibaha Industrial Park Co. Ltd., is aiming to become a major industrial hub. However, its growth is hindered by transportation challenges, according to Janson Huang, chairman of Group Six International at the park.

During a visit by Industry and Trade Minister Dr Selemani Jafo, Mr Huang emphasised the need for an SGR station, highlighting that it would significantly reduce travel time from Dar es Salaam to just 40 minutes.

 Currently, the journey takes over two hours, posing a challenge for investors and visitors.
“We need a station near the park because investors visiting the area find it challenging to travel from Dar es Salaam, taking at least two hours and a half to reach the industrial zone,” he said.

He also noted ongoing discussions with the Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) regarding the extension of a railway line to the park. Additionally, he acknowledged government support in establishing a road connection to the park, initially a rough road that previously required considerable travel time.

He identified reliable electricity as another challenge, highlighting frequent power cuts. “Currently, the park operates on a generator due to frequent power interruptions,” he emphasised.

He further explained that tax incentives pose another challenge. According to him, discussions with the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) about performance contracts from a year ago have yet to yield tax exemptions for operators.

Mr Huang emphasised that, upon completion of its construction stages, the industrial park will provide both direct and indirect employment, aiming to become an industrial city.

The entire project is planned in five phases, encompassing zones for life support, agriculture and food processing, medicine and daily chemicals, shoes and clothing processing, equipment manufacturing, building materials processing, and an export processing zone.

Dr Jafo responded by committing to meet with the TRC to explore the feasibility of constructing a railway station in the area to enhance transportation efficiency. He noted that the Sino-Tan industrial complex is expected to host up to 600 industries and employ over 100,000 Tanzanians.

He reaffirmed his dedication to promoting investments in the country to boost employment and encourage further industrial growth in the Coast region.

Dr Jafo also expressed satisfaction with the progress of the industrial complex, highlighting plans to increase the power supply by 50 MW to improve operational efficiency and reduce reliance on imported goods.

 He reported that construction of over 200 large-scale and 300 medium- and small-scale industries is already underway.

Earlier, Minister Jafo visited the KAMAKA complex in Mlandizi, commending local investments in the area covering over 1,077 acres. He praised the readiness of infrastructure and the ongoing construction of over 200 factories, stressing the importance of addressing fundamental issues to create employment opportunities for youth.

In another development, Minister Jafo directed all local councils nationwide to procure insecticide drugs to eradicate mosquito larvae that spread malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases, supporting the government’s malaria eradication efforts.

He issued this directive during his visit to Tanzania Biotechnology Products Ltd (TBPL), owned by the National Development Corporation (NDC) in Kibaha, Pwani region, to observe the production of these drugs.

Furthermore, Jafo underscored the need for each of the 184 councils to allocate funds from their health budgets for procuring these drugs, aiming to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and reduce malaria-related deaths, a significant health challenge in the country.

He also instructed the NDC to intensify public education efforts, particularly during large gatherings of council leaders, encouraging visits to the factory to promote the purchase of these essential drugs and reduce malaria fatalities among mothers and children.

“It is surprising that the use of these drugs in our country remains minimal, whereas Zanzibar has successfully eliminated malaria. Countries such as Kenya, Angola, Niger, Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini, and Mozambique purchase these drugs from us,” he said. “Let us increase their utilisation across Tanzania.”

Dr Nicholaus Shombe, CEO of the National Development Corporation (NDC), highlighted that the factory in Africa can annually produce six million litres of chemical-free biotechnology products, including insecticides for malaria mosquitoes, biopesticides for crop pests, organic fertilisers, and animal vaccines.