Singapore to use Dar Port as gateway to East Africa

DAILY NEWS Reporter

SINGAPORE Minister for Trade, Dr Koh Poh Koon, has said plans are underway to use Dar es Salaam Port as a trade link between his country and other East African countries.

The minister, who revealed the plan when he visited the Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa, in Dodoma yesterday, said his country was ready to offer exchange programmes that will see Tanzanians working at the Singapore Port to gain expertise and experience to run Tanzania’s ports efficiently.

Dr Koon, who has been accompanied by 40 big businessmen, informed the PM that Singapore’s firm, Hyflux, has started investing in Morogoro Region, where in five years’ time they are expecting to build an enabling infrastructure for light industries, commercial areas and 37,000 residential houses.

“Our company, Pavilion Energy, has invested 1.2 billion US dollars in the gas sector and is expecting to invest an additional 3 billion US dollars for an LNG plant, which will be built in Southern regions in partnership with gas companies from Europe and US,” he said.

The minister noted that PIL Company from Singapore was expecting to invest 400 million US Dollars for establishment of service stations for gas companies.

Mr Majaliwa welcomed Singapore’s companies to invest in various areas, including establishment of industries, hotels, agriculture and energy.

The premier promised the visiting minister that Tanzania was ready to conclude talks on Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement and Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement to attract more investors from Singapore.

He added that Tanzania had opened its investment doors for businessmen from Singapore to come and invest in manufacturing, aviation and Economic Processing Zones (EPZ).