According to a report in the East African newspaper, Tanzania’s deputy minister for infrastructure development, Dr Maua Daftari, said that some of the funding would be used to encourage more business to the port from neighbouring states. Investments would also be made at Mafia Island.
Acknowledging that existing Dar es Salaam port facilities were “overwhelmed”, Dr Daftari said that the government recognised the need to expand harbour facilities. This would encompass a wide spectrum of port services, from rehabilitating existing jetties to building new ones, improving security throughout the port and attending to areas such as cargo inspection and clearing facilities. Some US$5.8m will go on the rehabilitation of existing and new jetties alone, she disclosed.
A tender for the Mafia Island jetty has already been advertised. Construction of the jetty will greatly assist transportation for the people of Mafia, many of whom are fish farmers. The intention is also to transform and develop Mafia Island as a tourist hub within the Indian Ocean region, which will require tidal facilities to be constructed for vessels of up to 80 m in length.
