TPA assures better services for Malawi
DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA Ports Authority (TPA) has pledged to continue providing quality service to cargo destined for Malawi to ensure smooth trade operations between the two countries.
TPA Public Relations and Corporate Communication Manager, Mr Nicodemus Mushi told the `Daily News’ yesterday following appreciation by Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera to the authority for the services it accorded to his country’s cargoes.
President Chakwera was officiating the 37th Malawi International Trade Fair over the weekend where TPA was named the best international exhibitor.
Mr Mushi said the government under President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan continues to implement several strategic projects to improve transportation services along the Tanzania-Malawi corridor to enhance trade.
He explained that, currently the government is modernizing the Mtwara Port so that it can handle more than 1 million metric tonneof containerized and conventional cargo annually.
“We are all aware of the importance of Tanzania and Malawi’s long-standing bilateral relations. Collaboration in the transportation sector has played a significant role in shaping these relations. “Malawi is the strategic emerging market for TPA services,” he stated.
Adding “We have all witnessed the increase of cargo destined to Malawi passing at the port of Dar es Salaam.”
In that regard, he said the government is implementing the modernization project of Mbamba Bay Port by constructing a multipurpose terminal to increase its capacity and efficiency to handle cargo.
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He said the Mbambabay Port will open up the Mtwara corridor which is the best alternative to Dar es Salaam Port for the cargo destined to Malawi.
Over the weekend, Malawian President Chakwera commended TPA’s service delivery during the opening ceremony of the 37th Malawi International Trade Fair held at the Chichiri grounds in Blantyre City.
After visiting the TPA’s pavilion, Mr Chakwera was received by the port authority’s representative, Mr Rex Suleiman under the presence of Tanzania High Commissioner to Malawi, Ms Agness Kayola.
More notably, President Chakwera handed over the best international exhibitor award to TPA which was received by Mr Suleiman on behalf of Director General, Mr Plasduce Mbossa.
TPA participated in the international trade fair in collaboration with Tanzania’s High Commission in Malawi.
Recently, the Minister for Transport, Professor Makame Mbarawa said the government through the TPA’s overseas offices has been exploring business opportunities in neighbouring countries including Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zimbabwe which use Tanzania’s ports.
Prof Mbarawa highlighted while tabling the ministry’s entities’ revenue and expenditure estimates for the 2024/2025 Fiscal Year (FY) in the parliament.
He said as a result of the efforts, transit cargo volume reached 8.9 million tonnes last year from 8.2 tonnes in 2022 equivalent to an increase of 7.7 per cent.
He said overall the containerized cargo volume has increased by 42.31 per cent.
He said from July to March of the 2023/2024 FY TPA handled 20.72 million tonnes in comparison to 14.56 in the corresponding period of the 2022/2023 FY.
He attributed the increase in cargo volume to among others improvement of the
