Our Reporter
The Guardian
CONTAINERIZED cargo volumes handled by Tanzania
International Container Terminal Services last year increased by 20
percent to 500,000 twenty feet equivalent units (TEUs).
TICTS
Chief Executive Officer, Paul Wallace said heavy investment in cargo
handling equipment and motivated staff who own 5 percent of the stakes
at the company, has boosted efficiency tenfold.
“There is no longer any congestion at the port of Dar es Salaam because of big investment and the commitment of our employees, vessels which are getting ever-bigger, are now being turned around much faster,” Wallace said in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
He pointed out that because of increased volumes being handled, the largest container operator at the country’s prime port needs more space to accommodate the extra containers.
“We recognize that TPA plans are already in hand to upgrade the port and to accommodate even larger ships as they are cascaded from major trade lanes, to keep pace in the world market, small fragmented berths is not the answer,” Wallace noted.
The TICTS CEO further noted that the country needs to have a large, efficient deep water port to accommodate up to 3 x 8000 TEU ships simultaneously which will need one long continuous quay.
He pointed out that modern large vessels with a length of 350m are too big to be accommodated by smaller ports or quays but rather need a single hub at Dar es Salaam port which, apart from handling over 90 percent of the country’s exports and imports also serves six landlocked countries of Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia.
Currently, transit cargo constitutes up 40 percent of cargo going through the country’s prime port but is mainly transported to the hinterland by trucks because the railway system is broken down.
Wallace suggested that his company is the ideal partner for Tanzania Railways Limited with which they can build block-trains to shift freight from road to rail, which is much better for the environment and is at least 25 percent cheaper than trucks.
Acting Dar es Salaam Port Manager, Hebel Mhanga also acknowledged the role being paid by TICTS which he said pays wharfage, royalty and rent to Tanzania Ports Authority as landlord of the country’s major ports including that of Dar es Salaam.
“TICTS contribute a lot to TPA turnover annually because of their efficiency and improved investment in cargo handling equipment,” Mhanga noted. He pointed out that although TICTS which operates the container terminal only pays less to Treasury in terms of taxes per annum, some of their payments are reflected in TPA’s revenue books.
“They have worked closely in partnership with us to improve efficiency of the port especially for containers,” Mhanga noted.
Over the past two years TICTS has invested heavily in new equipment and has announced the purchase of a further two quay cranes at a cost of 40bn/- which shall be installed at Dar port by next December. The latest investment will bring its total cargo handling equipment to more than US$100m over the past 10 years. TICTS pays directly to Treasury on average 150bn/- each year.
“There is no longer any congestion at the port of Dar es Salaam because of big investment and the commitment of our employees, vessels which are getting ever-bigger, are now being turned around much faster,” Wallace said in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
He pointed out that because of increased volumes being handled, the largest container operator at the country’s prime port needs more space to accommodate the extra containers.
“We recognize that TPA plans are already in hand to upgrade the port and to accommodate even larger ships as they are cascaded from major trade lanes, to keep pace in the world market, small fragmented berths is not the answer,” Wallace noted.
The TICTS CEO further noted that the country needs to have a large, efficient deep water port to accommodate up to 3 x 8000 TEU ships simultaneously which will need one long continuous quay.
He pointed out that modern large vessels with a length of 350m are too big to be accommodated by smaller ports or quays but rather need a single hub at Dar es Salaam port which, apart from handling over 90 percent of the country’s exports and imports also serves six landlocked countries of Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia.
Currently, transit cargo constitutes up 40 percent of cargo going through the country’s prime port but is mainly transported to the hinterland by trucks because the railway system is broken down.
Wallace suggested that his company is the ideal partner for Tanzania Railways Limited with which they can build block-trains to shift freight from road to rail, which is much better for the environment and is at least 25 percent cheaper than trucks.
Acting Dar es Salaam Port Manager, Hebel Mhanga also acknowledged the role being paid by TICTS which he said pays wharfage, royalty and rent to Tanzania Ports Authority as landlord of the country’s major ports including that of Dar es Salaam.
“TICTS contribute a lot to TPA turnover annually because of their efficiency and improved investment in cargo handling equipment,” Mhanga noted. He pointed out that although TICTS which operates the container terminal only pays less to Treasury in terms of taxes per annum, some of their payments are reflected in TPA’s revenue books.
“They have worked closely in partnership with us to improve efficiency of the port especially for containers,” Mhanga noted.
Over the past two years TICTS has invested heavily in new equipment and has announced the purchase of a further two quay cranes at a cost of 40bn/- which shall be installed at Dar port by next December. The latest investment will bring its total cargo handling equipment to more than US$100m over the past 10 years. TICTS pays directly to Treasury on average 150bn/- each year.
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