Tanzania’s port of Dar es Salaam risks losing a substantial amount of business to its southern African competitors as operational inefficiencies and other trade barriers cause increased congestion, according to trade and government leaders.
Speaking in the city last week, Tanzania’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Anthony Cheche, along with representatives of the Tanzania Truck Owners’ Association (Tatoa) and Tanzania Drivers Workers Union (Tadwu), highlighted congestion from the port to Misugusugu weighbridge as well as delays at several checkpoints as some of the major obstacles to trade growth.
Tanzanian newspaper Daily News further pointed out that frequent systems failure at Tunduma border post, expensive parking slots on the Zambia side, as well as increased corruption also contributed to the high costs of doing business in and out of the country.
“We need to carry out immediate research and act accordingly to resolve and protect the country from losing the colossal amount of business,” Cheche was quoted by the daily newspaper as saying.
The port handles cargo destined for several land-locked countries including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia and Uganda and competes with Walvis Bay in Namibia, Beira in Mozambique, Durban in South Africa and Angola.
