Wednesday, October 14 marked the ground- breaking ceremony for the Bagamoyo Port Project in Tanzania. President Jakaya Kikwete attended the event as the project forms part of the Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone estimated to cost $10 billion.
The project is the first of its kind in east and central Africa, according to AllAfrica, and includes an ultra-modern port, supporting infrastructure as well as an industrial park.
Some 800 hectares will be allocated to the port and 1 700 hectares to the industrial zone, which will be developed under a tripartite agreement between the Government of Tanzania (GoT), China Merchants Holdings International (CMHI) from China and State Government Reserve Fund (SGRF) from Oman.
"Apart from the sea port and the portside industrial zone, the project includes support infrastructure in the form of railways, road network, electricity, running water, gas and communication network,” according to permanent secretary in the Prime Minister's Office, Dr Florence Turuka, quoted by AllAfrica.
The project is expected to transform Tanzania into a transport logistics hub, Turuka added.
