East African Business Week

TANGA, TANZANIA - Tanga Port, on the north-eastern Tanzania coast, has increased cargo handling from 435,000 tons in 2007 to 650,000 tons this year due to improved infrastructure and enhanced services.
  Speaking to the East African Business Week in Tanga, Port Manager Awadh Masawe said the improvement recorded so far was a result of deliberate steps by the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) to restore the port's lost glory.
  "We embarked on the improvement project to by installing new infrastructure as well as develop cargo handling skills of our staff," he said,
  Masawe said the improvement project began in earnest last year and was expected to be completed next month (June). In the 1960 and 70s Tanga port was famed for exporting thousands of tones of sisal, tea and coffee.
  However, Masawe said in year that followed the collapse of the sisal market the port's handling dropped as the infrastructure became dilapidated thus discouraging many importers from using the port.   "The situation cost us dearly as we lost many customers", he said adding, "They decided to run to neighbouring ports within and outside the country for better service," said Masawe.   The Port Manager said TPA was now engaged in promotional campaigns aimed at winning back lost customers and attracting new ones.   "Our services are now better and we can serve our customers more efficiently than before," he said.    Commenting on the implementation of the project to construct a new port at Mwambani area which would cater for all landlocked countries in the Great Lakes region, Masawe said construction has already started and was going on well.  Some Tshs 1.7billion (US$1.13 million) had already been paid in compensation to owners of land in the implementation area and that a feasibility study had also been conducted.
    Being a shallow port, visiting Ocean going vessels have to anchor at the outer anchorage reached by pontoons which take cargoes to and from the ships.
The city of Tanga, on the Indian Ocean, is near the border with Kenya, and an important railroad terminus, connecting northern Tanzania interior to the sea using the Tanzania Railways Company line that links up to the Central Line.