Improvements at the Dar es Salaam Port are beginning to deliver higher cargo volumes and revenue as modern equipment and faster vessel handling attract more ships to Tanzania’s main maritime gateway.
Transport Ministry Permanent Secretary Prof Godius Kahyarara said improved port efficiency was increasingly drawing vessels to Dar es Salaam, but warned that the gains could be undermined if cargo was not cleared and moved out of the port quickly.
Prof Kahyarara made the remarks during a Port Improvement Committee (PIC) meeting that brought together key players in the transport and logistics sector at the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) headquarters in Dar es Salaam.
He said investments in modern equipment had improved the speed at which vessels were handled, helping to make the port more competitive.
“With modern equipment and vessels being served on time, this has increased the attractiveness of the Dar es Salaam Port and the number of vessels calling at the port,” Prof Kahyarara said.
He urged stakeholders to improve coordination so that cargo discharged from ships could be collected and transported without unnecessary delays.
The emphasis reflects a wider challenge facing the port: improving performance inside the facility must be matched by efficiency across the rest of the logistics chain.
Delays involving customs clearance, trucks, roads and inland storage facilities can slow the movement of cargo even when ships are handled efficiently at the port.
Principal Deputy Permanent Secretary in the President’s Office–Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), responsible for infrastructure, Rogatus Mativila, said the government was addressing some of these challenges by improving roads connecting port-related areas.
He said the Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA) was working to ensure local roads, particularly those linking the port with dry ports, remained accessible.
“Improving road infrastructure is important to ensure the increase in cargo at the port is matched by the capacity to move that cargo efficiently to different destinations,” Mr Mativila said.
Dar es Salaam Port Operations Manager Frank Korasa said cargo handled at the facility had increased significantly, including vehicles, coal and other categories of goods.
The increase puts greater pressure on the road transport network and inland logistics facilities, making coordination between port authorities, transporters, customs officials and dry-port operators increasingly important.
DP World, which operates part of the port, said it was continuing to invest in modern equipment to improve vessel and cargo handling.
The company also said it was upgrading cargo storage facilities, including measures to protect goods from challenges associated with the rainy season.
The improvements come as Tanzania seeks to strengthen the Dar es Salaam Port's role as a gateway for domestic and transit cargo serving the country and neighbouring markets.
For businesses, the efficiency of the entire chain matters as much as the speed of unloading ships. Faster cargo clearance and transportation can reduce the time goods remain at the port and help limit costs associated with delays.
The PIC meeting included representatives from TPA, the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), truck owners, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Transport and dry-port operators.
The stakeholders discussed measures to improve cargo clearance and transportation and ensure investments made at the port translate into faster movement of goods across the wider logistics network.